His Excellency Shinzo ABE
Prime Minister of Japan
The Hague, 14 November 2017
Petition: 276
Subject: Dialogue for dialogue
Excellency,
In our petition 225 of 13 August 2013 we congratulated you with your party’s victory. We suggested to work towards a genuine dialogue. 50 Petitions, 4 years later your party scored an overwhelming election victory. It gives your party’s coalition with the Komeito a two-thirds majority in both Diet Chambers and the opportunity to constitutional changes. Following your re-appointment as Prime Minister you told in a press conference that:
“Dialogue for dialogue is meaningless.
We have to maximize pressure to create a situation in which North Korea calls for a dialogue.
It is understandable that your focus is on the situation with North Korea. It is of paramount importance to Japan and to the world too.
Prime Minister,
As for now regarding a meaningful dialogue the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts calls on your decency for a meaningful dialogue on Japan’s moral obligations for Japan’s military conduct during the occupation of Dutch East Indies. Our present longstanding dialogue is one sided and dictated by a legal interpretation ignoring the moral consequences of Japan’s military conduct.
In your forthcoming speech to the Diet on 17 November you will most likely outline a fresh mandate, including amendments to the present Constitution. It is an opportune moment to demonstrate your genuine belief that those amendments will be critical in obtaining a long lasting peace in the region. It is the moment also to make known that you wish to resolve Japan’s past moral obligations.
Prime Minister,
You won the elections because the people of Japan do not want war. They have suffered too many wars initiated by Japan in the past. However they believe now that you are the best Prime Minister to avoid that. Nevertheless the electorate is worried and much depends on how you are able together with the United States of America, South Korea and China to come to terms with North Korea. The Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts supports efforts in this respect. At the same time we call on you for a meaningful dialogue between us settling the past.
On behalf of the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts.
J.F. van Wagtendonk
President