Petition # 281 : Storytellers II

Petition # 281 : Storytellers II

Petition #281 : StorytellersII

 

His Excellency Shinzo ABE
Prime Minister of Japan

The Hague, 10 April 2018
Petition: 281
Subject: Storytellers Ⅱ

Excellency,

In our previous petition 280 “Storytellers” we emphasized that the Dutch story should be told also, both in Japan as well as around the world along with the Japanese testimonies on the nuclear fallout. The Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts as NGO accredited to the Human Rights Council in Geneva is entitled to present the Dutch story. On the 19thMarch 2018 we presented our story orally.

The full text is as follows:

Human Rights Council
37th session, February-March 2018
Oral Statement
Agenda item 6
UPR Japan

Mr President,

The Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts, based in The Netherlands, requests the Human Rights Council to point out that the Government of Japan must clear its past honorably and directly with the victims of the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II, in accordance with the Third Geneva Convention.

Despite many verbal apologies by successive Japanese Prime Ministers, Japan dismisses its obligations referring to the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty in which it illegally absolved itself of its war crimes violating recognized principles of international humanitarian law and of the Third Geneva Prisoner of War Convention of 1949.

Japan’s arrogant waiving of the possibility to claim individually is hypocritical. To apologize for war crimes and not to redress the loss of health and property to the individual victims is rubbing salt in the still open wounds caused by the Japanese military terror and brutality.

Japan remains tainted and cursed for its past military atrocities secretly ordered or willfully permitted by the Japanese government and by the leaders of the armed forces. All war crimes.

The United Nations recognizes that war crimes and crimes against humanity are the greatest crimes in International Law and has placed no time limitations on claims regarding war crimes. The Japanese war crimes committed during the occupation of Dutch East Indies from 1941-1945 grossly violated United Nations’ instituted international law and cannot be absolved in the San Francisco Peace Treaty nor the Stikker-Yoshida Protocol.

Japan’s claim that the 1951 San Francisco Peace Treaty and Stikker-Yoshida agreement dealt with the reparation issue discard International Law and United Nations conventions. The Japanese government as High Contracting party has still to come to terms with the individual Dutch victims, and not with the Dutch government.

The Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts urges that the Human Rights Council recommends the Government of Japan to resolve this long lasting issue respectfully and honorably.

Thank you for your attention.

Prime Minister,

As such there is no debate between the presenter of the oral statement and the representatives of the delegates. However it was clear that our request was noted and will be considered in Japan’s UPR.

We look forward to your reaction.

On behalf of the Foundation of Japanese Honorary Debts.

J.F. van Wagtendonk
President