Japan's prime minister has sent a letter to his British counterpart apologizing for Japanese treatment of prisoners during World War II, but veterans here said it falls short.
In the letter to John Major, Prime Minister Tomiichi Mura-yama expressed "my profound remorse for Japan's actions in a certain period of the past which caused such unbearable suffering and sorrow for so many people."Major's spokesman said Friday that the prime minister was "pleased" that Murayama put in writing words that he had previously expressed privately.
But British veterans, noting the frequent changes in Japanese prime ministers in recent years, said the apology carries little weight unless it reflects the official position of the Japanese government.
Conservative Japanese politicians have blocked efforts to issue an official apology for their nation's wartime brutality, arguing that Japan was not exclusively at fault.
Last month, 73,000 wartime prisoners from the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand sued in Tokyo, seeking compensation for their wartime suffering. They are demanding $22,000 each.
Murayama's letter is the latest exchange between Britain and Japan surrounding next weekend's 50th anniversary ceremonies marking the Allied victory over Japan. British veterans, angry at Japan's refusal to issue an official apology, have forced Major to limit Japanese participation in the London ceremonies.
Viscount John Slim of the Far East Prisoner of War Association and the Burma Star Association says veterans will "never forget" Japanese atrocities against war prisoners. And forgiveness, he said, is an individual matter.
British veterans "admire the Japanese warrior, but we don't necessarily wish to meet them all the time," Lord Slim said.
Japan has consistently been sidelined this year at events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.
When Britain marked the end of the war in Europe with a three-day international celebration in May, leaders from more than 50 nations - including wartime foes Germany and Italy - attended.
Japan's ambassador to Britain was invited, but Tokyo's political and national leaders were snubbed.
Next weekend's ceremonies are billed as an internal matter between Britain and its Commonwealth states. This excludes the Japanese again, as it does formal representation from other states.