Sixty years spells for a cycle and stands for a transmigration. When the
witnesses of history are gradually growing old and passing away and when the
pains and grieves are being worn thinner and thinner or even fade away as the
time goes by, we need to seek shock, sensation, pains and lessons from the
historic fragments, and restore and remember the history through perceptual
retrospection and rational reflection.
The moment when Mr. Willy Brandt, the former chancellor of Federal Republic
of Germany, knelt down in front of the Jew victims' monument in Warsaw and
offered an apology in 1970, people all over the world no doubt saw in him the
image of Germany with the courage to face up to history and to meditate openly
on the war crimes. Just like the emphasis in Germany Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder's remarks made at V-E Day this year, "The war originated by Germany
was one of the worst wars in humankind's history, and to remember and to reflect
on that part of the history will remain the everlasting 'morality and
obligation' of Germany."
The courage and sense of responsibility of Germany won the understanding
and appreciation of the European victimized countries and international society
as a whole.
In striking contrast to Germany's approach, the attitude of Japan, another
hotbed of the WWII, is poles apart from that of Germany. Some of Japanese
governmental officials nowadays still avoid saying that Japan had initiated the
aggressive war. The right-wing forces even openly beautify Japan's aggressive
history and wantonly tamper with Japan's textbooks to reverse the verdict for
Japanese crimes of aggression. From 1970s, the Japanese prime ministers have
repeatedly paid homage to the Yasukuni Shrine. Junichiro Koizumi, the current
Japanese prime minister, in particular, has paid homage to the Yasukuni Shrine
for many times since coming into office.
As the China's old saying goes, "as a man sows, so does he reap". On
the question of dealing with historic problems, Japan is lacking in the approach of
reflection and apology shown by Germany. So, how can Japan expect to gain the
understanding of the people from the victimized countries and the respect of the
international society?
On the question of dealing with the history, Japan surely needs to learn
from Germany. You will not get melon when you have sown bean. It takes courage
and sense of responsibility to face up to history.
By Ding Zengyi
(Aug. 29, PLA Daily)