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All the fun of the future without the pain of living there
Although countries like Japan and Vietnam may never be able to make proper amends for their violent and aggressive histories, this should not stop them trying, the Minister for Middle England said today.
The Minister, Ellie Citon-Burchell, was speaking at a commemorative luncheon celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the heroism of its victor and most famous participant, Sir Winston Churchill.
Japan had never apologised for its role in the Second World War to the satisfaction of all concerned, Mrs Citon-Burchell said. British newspapers such as the Daily Maul and the Sun frequently had occasion to draw attention to the Japanese war record in their crusade to get Britain to look to the future, she said.
"Certainly cultural differences play their part," the Minister continued. "Japan and Britain are two very different nations culturally and historically. Japan is an island monarchy with a rigid class system and a history of often violent expansionism. We should not be surprised or unduly irritated if, even after so many years of peace, divergences occasionally arise."
Similarly, Mrs Citon-Burchell said, the Vietnamese nation has never made genuine amends for its 1979 invasion of Cambodia and its toppling of the internationally recognised government. "We must learn to tolerate other cultures, even if they are not capable of apologising in the sense we are used to," the Minister said.
Nevertheless, she concluded, it would be "a pleasant surprise for all" if, at some time during the scheduled commemoration of the Second World War, Japan could bring itself to make another effort at conciliation. The commemorative events, which began nine months ago on the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of war, will conclude with a fireworks display over Nagasaki in August 2025.
Although countries like Japan and Vietnam may never be able to make proper amends for their violent and aggressive histories, this should not stop them trying, the Minister for Middle England said today.
The Minister, Ellie Citon-Burchell, was speaking at a commemorative luncheon celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and the heroism of its victor and most famous participant, Sir Winston Churchill.
Japan had never apologised for its role in the Second World War to the satisfaction of all concerned, Mrs Citon-Burchell said. British newspapers such as the Daily Maul and the Sun frequently had occasion to draw attention to the Japanese war record in their crusade to get Britain to look to the future, she said.
"Certainly cultural differences play their part," the Minister continued. "Japan and Britain are two very different nations culturally and historically. Japan is an island monarchy with a rigid class system and a history of often violent expansionism. We should not be surprised or unduly irritated if, even after so many years of peace, divergences occasionally arise."
Similarly, Mrs Citon-Burchell said, the Vietnamese nation has never made genuine amends for its 1979 invasion of Cambodia and its toppling of the internationally recognised government. "We must learn to tolerate other cultures, even if they are not capable of apologising in the sense we are used to," the Minister said.
Nevertheless, she concluded, it would be "a pleasant surprise for all" if, at some time during the scheduled commemoration of the Second World War, Japan could bring itself to make another effort at conciliation. The commemorative events, which began nine months ago on the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of war, will conclude with a fireworks display over Nagasaki in August 2025.
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