Asia marks anniversary of Japan surrender
(AP/Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-08-15 09:09

In the Philippines, Lili-Pilipina, a group of women who say they were forced into prostitution by the Japanese Imperial Army, demanded again that Tokyo compensate them. While some have accepted payments from the privately run Asian Women's Fund, the women want official compensation and acknowledgment of their suffering from the Japanese government.

Tokyo has generally refused to pay damages to individuals for the war, saying the issue was settled between governments in postwar treaties. Japanese courts have rejected a number of lawsuits brought by former sex slaves across Asia.

In China's anniversary events, religious associations planned rites condemning aggression and praying for peace, the Xinhua News Agency said.

The northeastern city of Qiqihar put on an exhibit commemorating the death of a Chinese man two years ago from a mustard gas canister abandoned by Japan's army, the China Youth Daily reported. The leak also injured 42 people.

Japan invaded China in 1931. Its troops massacred as many as 300,000 people after taking the city of Nanjing in December 1937, and Japanese scientists performed germ warfare experiments on Chinese prisoners.

Looming over this year's remembrances was the Yasukuni shrine, which honors Japan's war dead, including its prime minister during World War II, Hideki Tojo.

Speculation mounted that Koizumi could visit there as early as Monday to commemorate the end of World War II - an act sure to further enrage Chinese, Koreans and other Asians.

Taku Yamasaki, former vice president of Koizumi's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said Sunday he did not think Koizumi would visit on the sensitive date.

"More people are realizing the importance of good diplomatic relations with our neighboring countries," he said.

But Koizumi needs to bolster support among conservative right-wing Japanese for next month's parliamentary elections and he hasn't visited the shrine since January 2004. He said Friday he would make "the appropriate decision when the time comes."

North Korea decried the shrine visits as a sign of resurgent Japanese militarism.

"These militarist forces are directly exercising increasing influence on shaping policies," the Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary Saturday.