Nov 19 2005
Yasukuni Shrine and Jorg Haider
Since Junichiro Koizumi became Japan’s prime minister in 2001, he’s visited the Yasukuni shrine every year and his possible successors all vowed to continue the practice. His latest visit provoked not only strong diplomatic reactions from China and ROK but triggered a few violent anti-Japan protests in China.
Chinese government is widely ridiculed for manipulating nationalistic sentiment. In the West, you can almost hear a collective sigh: when will those two ever grow up?
However, is this type of hair pulling so typical of Asia? Has history become so remote as there is no need to make a judgement? Is there no justification of the strong reactions from China?
Summary of counter points:
Japan first did not place the names of the war criminals into the shrine right after WWII. But they were sneaked in around60s, 70s. There has been calls to remove them from the Shine again but did not generate much momentum (class notes, Prof. Bachman, UW JSIS)
Austria: traditional conservative forces/The People’s Party (OVP, Karl Lueger) - The Age of Empire/The Freedom Party (OVP long time partner)
Jorg Haider: Populism/Far-right/Nazi Sympathy:
“Haider has made statements that seemed to imply support for some ideas of National Socialism (nothing relating to praise for the Racial policies), and has associated with Waffen-SS veterans publicly, including attending a major rememberance ceremony. ” (again from Wiki, need support)
U.S. and World Reaction: “The FPO had gained support because of populist tactics, and many feared it would represent right wing extremism. As a result, the European Union (EU) imposed a series of sanctions on Austria. The U.S. and Israel, as well as various other countries, also reduced contacts with the Austrian Government. After a period of close observation, the EU lifted sanctions, and the U.S. revised its contacts policy. Following 2002 elections, the OVP in February 2003 renewed its coalition with the FPO. ” (from a State Department source)
My conversation with Prof. Bachman:
Me: 1. Would you say that Jorg Haider’s participation in SS veteran ceremonies comparable to Kuizumi’s visit to the shrine?
2. Balkan peace as of today—is it more due to external pressures (U.S., E.U. hopeful, etc.) or really because the two peoples are tired
of killing each other?
Prof. Bachman:
Haider is worse. Koizumi can say that he is honoring all Japanese war dead. The SS is not all German war dead.
Peace more externally imposed, though there was some exhaustion, and with the prior results of ethnic cleansing, fewer areas are contested.