Petition #267: Your summit with the President of the United States of America February 10, 2017.

Petition #267: Your summit with the President of the United States of America February 10, 2017.

His Excellency Shinzo ABE
Prime Minister of Japan
The Hague, 14 February 2017
Petition: 267
Subject: Your summit with the President of the United States of America February 10, 2017.

Excellency,
According to the international press you had a fruitful and friendly summit with the President of the United States of America Mr. Donald J. Trump on February 10, 2017. Global economy and security took an important part of the discussions, in particular North Korea and the threat of its nuclear capabilities. I presume that you discussed Japan’s World War II legacy and in this context Japan’s relationship with the Republic of China. Despite the economic and security topics of today I hope that you had the courage to review Japan’s commitment to peace and human rights past and present. At last the Joint Statement of February 10, 2017 mentions: “President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe underscore the importance of maintaining international order based upon the rule of law”. In order to be effective this must surely include the acceptance of jurisdiction by the United Nations on international legal matters.

Prime Minister,
As mentioned previously, the United Nations has recognized that war crimes and crimes against humanity are the gravest crimes in international law. Thus adopting the 3rd Geneva Convention of 1949. The Convention is clear in two very important principles: violations of human rights have no statute of limitations and individual human rights cannot be absolved as a matter of international law by high contracting party of any liability incurred by itself or the other high contracting party. As such Japan continues to violate human rights. Japan should voluntarily try to absolve this violation with the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts, representing individual Dutch victims of Japanese war crimes during the occupation of Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. We are looking forward to your initiative.

Prime Minister,
We are still awaiting an official receipt of our petitions.

On behalf of the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts.

J.F. van Wagtendonk
President