Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts, NGO Status Roster
His Excellency Shinzo ABE
Prime Minister of Japan
The Hague, 11 September 2018
Petition: 286
Subject: Mutual respect
Excellency,
In many of our previous petitions we tried respectfully to come to terms with the unjust treatment of the Dutch by the Japanese military during the occupation of the Dutch East Indies. You and your predecessors neglected our suggestions. Only the legalistic approach by successive Japanese Ambassadors in The Hague was communicated. A point of view which the surviving victims and their next of kin never accepted and dismissed as unethical and lacking empathy.
Prime Minister,
During more than 25 years the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts, supported by more than 100.000 registered surviving Dutch victims, put forward that Japan has the moral obligation to acknowledge the behavior of its military during the occupation of Dutch East Indies. Therefore Japan must come to terms with the facts that during that occupation the Japanese military grossly violated the laws of war.
Prime Minister,
The relationship for more than 400 years between Japan and the Netherlands has been based on respect and empathy. Japanese business leaders keep saying that they feel at home in the Netherlands. When they are reminded about the black years during World War II they sympathize with our request and refer to you as the present political leader of Japan who should take the initiative and resolve our quest for a meaningful solution. As mandated again in the recent annual meeting of our members, the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts is in a position to deal directly with you to seek that solution. In respect to those members we expect that you obtain a similar mandate.
We look forward hearing from you personally.
On behalf of the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts.
J.F. van Wagtendonk
President
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