August 22, 2013
Dear Senator McCain,
As a supporter of your candidacy in the 2008 presidential election, I was very disturbed by your recent comments in Japan, in which you voiced support for Japan's claim of sovereignty of the Diaoyu islands (known as the Senkaku islands by the Japanese) and for the Japanese Cabinet's plan to revise their country's pacifist Constitution. Perhaps your intention was to promote the stability of the region; however, I and many of my friends are afraid that your comments might enhance the tensions and even the possibility of war in the region. I believe that you, as a Vietnam veteran who sacrificed so much in that war, must share with me, a father of a former US Marine Corps infantry officer who fought on the frontlines of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the strong desire for a peaceful world.
The territorial dispute of Diaoyu Islands would never have been an issue if the 1943 Cairo Declaration and the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, which obliged Japan to return all the Chinese territories it had forcibly occupied, were properly executed as they should have been. Unfortunately, the dispute developed because of post-WWII geopolitical manipulations. We cannot change history. However, Japan's claim that there is no dispute whatsoever is not only foolish, but closes the door to any meaningful negotiation. The official US stance is that the United States does not take a position on the sovereignty of the islands. The best approach for the US is to encourage both sides to table the dispute as it has been done since 1972. The islands are too small to warrant a risk of dragging US into a war with China.
Japan's pacifist constitution was written for a good reason. Both your father and grandfather were Navy admirals who served in the Pacific for many years and surely understand the histories of the region well. Between 1937 and 1945, the Japanese military murdered from 3 million to possibly over 10 million non-combatants, most likely 6 million Chinese, Indonesians, Koreans, Filipinos, Southeast Asians, and Western prisoners of war. In 1945, eight young American naval pilots were shot down over Chichi Jima. Seven of these officers were captured by Japanese troops and taken prisoner. Some of them were eaten by Japanese officers. The eighth, George H. W. Bush, was rescued by an American submarine and later became the 41st president.
It has been more than 67 years since WWII ended, and the Japanese people's desire to become a “normal” country is understandable. However, the biggest roadblock to Japan's desire is her inability to honestly apologize for the aggression and atrocities Japan incurred to other people in the region who may be willing to forgive but can never forget the history. Japan should learn from post WWII Germany, which gained the acceptance and respect of other countries by acknowledging, and unequivocally renouncing the atrocities of its Nazi past.
The ultra-conservative wing of the Japanese political spectrum, of which Abe is the leader, will not be our long-term friend. To them, WWII is still considered the Great East Asian Holy War, which was forced upon Japan by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Japan's so-called “entry” into other Asian countries was simply an effort to help them throw off the yoke of Western colonization. Many Japanese still deeply resent being the only victims of the atomic bomb. Therefore, we feel that it is not to the US interest to encourage Japan to modify the pacifist constitution.
Thank you for your attention.
Victor Chang and a group of concerned citizens