Japanese revanchist militarist danger

This video says about itself:

May 2003

Memories of Japanese war crimes continue to poison Japan‘s relations with its neighbours. Many Chinese are still suffering the effects of a vicious campaign of germ warfare.

“Our unit did things no human being should ever do,” confesses Unit 731 member Yoshio Shinozuka. His unit developed the deadly pathogens which were used to infect 250,000 Chinese. Japan’s refusal to apologise for its actions, or to acknowledge Unit 731′s existence, has further upset its victims.

Produced by ABC Australia
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

From daily The Morning Star in Britain:

Abe unveils plan to rewrite Japan’s constitution

Thursday 31 January 2013

by Our Foreign Desk

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sent shockwaves around Asia today when he announced plans to amend the country’s pacifist constitution.

He told MPs that he wanted to start by changing article 96, which requires amendments to be backed by two-thirds of both houses of parliament and then a majority Yes vote in a referendum.

By lowering the bar Mr Abe hopes to realise his hawkish Liberal Democratic Party‘s longstanding ambitions to overhaul the constitution.

Article nine renouncing war and belligerency was imposed by the US after the second world war but has since become part of the fabric of national life.

Mr Abe said before December’s election – which he and his more pacific coalition partners won by a landslide – that he would seek to turn Japan’s Self-Defence Force into a proper military.

That worries Japan’s neighbours, who have endured centuries on the sharp end of the country’s imperial ambitions.

In particular, Japan is beating the war drum over control of a disputed island chain in the South China Sea.

Taiwanese President Ma Ying Jeou stepped into the fray, offering to broker a deal for joint development of the islands’ resources.

But Taiwan – which also claims the territory – is unlikely to make much headway, as China still considers Taiwan its own territory.

Japanese Defence Minister Onodera Itsunori implied last month that he wants the law changed to allow troops to be sent abroad when Japanese lives are at stake.

It followed the kidnapping of at least 10 Japanese at an Algerian gas plant.

Obama is encouraging Japanese nationalism and militarism: here.

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