Abe govt's attempts to undermine peace strongly condemned

Japanese Abe government's attempts to undermine peace in Asia were strongly condemned at a "Memorial of Martyrs of World War II" in Kuala Lumpur on Friday.

The event was jointly held by Malaysia's Society for Research on World War II History, the Centre of Malaysia Chinese Studies, and other 23 Malaysian Chinese societies.

Hundreds of participants, dressing in black with yellow chrysanthemums in hand, bowed three times to the monument, while dozens of middle school students lined both sides of the monument in salute.

After one-minute standing silent tribute, participants presented flowers to the martyrs.

The invasion of Japanese imperialists made the Malaysian people suffer war misery for three years and eight months. However, Japan's recent acts of denying the history of comfort women and other wartime atrocities, Yasukuni Shrine visits, and attempts to revise the pacifist Constitution made peace-loving people around the world very worried, said head of Malaysia's Society for Research on World War II History.

"The Japanese government must pull back before it is too late. It must correct its mistakes for the world justice and justness," he said.

Tan Yew Sing, president of the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, said the monstrous crimes committed by the Japanese army during World War II can not be denied and Japanese militarism remains a threat to world peace. Peace-loving Malaysian people are willing to have friendly exchanges with Japan, on the premise of Japanese government's public apology and its complete elimination of militarism.

With aggressive acts leading to world tension escalating, the Abe government is stepping back onto the dangerous road of militarism. Such a government should step down as soon as possible, said a professor of University of the Ryukyus, who attends WWII-related memorial service in Malaysia every August 15.