Japan's double standards on full display

Editor's note: Fucha Qiuyu is a commentator on international affairs for CGTN. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Japan's recent acts are particularly reckless and disturbing. When Akihiro Murata, a second lieutenant in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JSDF), scaled the wall of the Chinese Embassy in Japan with a knife and threatened to kill Chinese diplomats on March 24, Japanese police stationed around the embassy failed to take notice, much less take action to stop the perpetrator. Yet when a 64-year-old man from the Republic of Korea (ROK) staged a peaceful protest at the Yasukuni Shrine on April 22, he was swiftly arrested by the police.

Though seemingly unrelated on the surface, these two incidents strike a stark contrast that is ironically chilling and thought-provoking, laying bare the double standards of the Japanese authorities. It is further evidence of the rampant rise of neo-militarism in Japan.

Zero tolerance for peaceful protest; kid gloves for violent intruder

The elderly man from the ROK was merely an ordinary civilian. Unarmed throughout, he just hung a few banners and expressed views peacefully at the shrine, confronting no one and causing no damage. Police arrived within minutes and apprehended him on the charge of "obstructing shrine rituals." The Japanese authorities made a big fanfare of their "swift and strict law enforcement," widely covering it in local media as if a dangerous criminal had been caught.

In the far more egregious embassy intrusion incident, however, this "swift and strict law enforcement" is conspicuously absent. The JSDF officer traveled a long distance to Tokyo and purchased a 31-centimeter-long blade before breaking into the Chinese Embassy and ranting about killing Chinese diplomats – clearly a premeditated violent crime verging on a terrorist attack.

Yet, the Japanese authorities failed to detect the plot in the first place, then tried to shirk responsibility by refusing to issue a formal apology to China and quickly ordering a psychiatric evaluation for the intruder in an attempt to deny the premeditated nature of his crime. It was only 20 days later that they re-arrested Murata – not for his crime against the Chinese embassy but on a minor charge of violating the knife and firearm control law. What a master of double standards Japan is.

A contempt for justice rooted in historical guilt

The contrast could not be greater, and small details reveal the ugly truth. Japan has never genuinely acknowledged or repented of its historical guilt, and remains obstinately determined to revive its militarism.

This also explains Japan's evasive and irresponsible attitude toward the embassy break-in. If the authorities show zero tolerance for historical truth and universal justice, by their warped logic, they will naturally go easy on the rioters poisoned by neo-militarist ideology.

Yet it must be noted that the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations clearly stipulates that diplomatic premises are inviolable. Breaking into an embassy with a knife and threatening diplomatic personnel constitutes a serious violent crime and an outright provocation against national sovereignty, an offense warranting severe and speedy punishment in any country.

However, Japan seeks to downgrade this grave diplomatic incident to a trivial personal crime. This is a flagrant violation of international law and a manifestation of arrogant indifference to Japan's brutal wartime history.

The ghost of militarism lingers on

The specter of Japan's neo-militarism is looming ever larger, as reflected in the way Japan has handled these two incidents – going to great lengths to crack down on voices of justice and honor the shrine of war criminals while downplaying the heinous acts of militarist rioters. All this is driven by its desire to whitewash and glorify past aggression and pave the way for reviving militarism.

Despite widespread condemnation from neighboring countries, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and leading members of her right-wing government and the Diet have continued to make offerings or pay visits to the notorious Yasukuni Shrine.

More alarmingly, Japan has recently loosened its arms export rules, breaking with its post-World War II pacifism. This means it can now sell lethal weapons to the 17 countries with which it has defense agreements, another substantive step toward the resurrection of militarism. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara argued in a press briefing that the move was "intended to safeguard Japan's security and further contribute to the peace and stability of the region." He who excuses himself accuses himself.

Regardless of whether the elderly ROK man violated local laws, his courage to stage a lone peaceful protest at the symbolic stronghold of Japanese militarism delivered a powerful rebuke to Japan's right-wing administration.

Justice will always prevail. Japan's hypocritical double standards have exposed the true face of its rising neo-militarism to the peace-loving people worldwide. A fool thinks himself to be wise, and Japan is the living proof.

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