CINA

본문

Tokyo, Yasukuni Shrine, two days ago: Representatives of European and Japanese ultra-nationalist/racist/fascist organisations honored the war criminals of the Imperial Japanese Army. The European delegation, which included ultra-right/fascist politicians from France, GB, Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Austria and Belgium, has been invited to Japan by Issuikai, an extreme right-wing association that denies Japanese war crimes and wants to build a global alliance of nationalist groups to fight American "hegemony".

Yesterday's Xinhua (P.R. China) reported the following:

  
       European right-wing politicians visit Yasukuni Shrine 
 
European right-wing politicians including French Jean-Marie Le Pen on Saturday paid a visit to Japan's Yasukuni Shrine that has drawn outrage for honoring war criminals.

The visit came one day ahead of the 65th anniversary of Japan's World War II surrender.

Le Pen, leader of the far-right French National Front, told reporters after the visit that the move was to pay respect to those who died in war for their country.

The Japanese shrine, which is located in Tokyo, honors 2.5 million war dead including 14 top war criminals. China, Korea and other Asian countries regard that it glorifies Japan's past militarism.

In the past, Asian countries had been outraged by visits to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese politicians.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said earlier that he will not visit the Yasukuni Shrine during his tenure. All of the ministers of Kan's Cabinet also said they will not visit the shrine Sunday.

Tens of thousands of soldiers as well as civilians of European countries were captured by the Japanese Imperial Army as they waged war of aggression against former colonies of Europe in Asia at the beginning of World War II. Thousands of them were believed to have been executed, tortured and starved to death in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/14/c_13445030.htm

Related articles:
☞ Far right pays tribute to Japan's 'war heroes' (Independent, 8.14)

☞ European Right-Wing Leaders Visit Japan War Shrine (WSJ, 8.14)