Cabinet gives Yasukuni a miss

More than 50 lawmakers of the ruling and opposition parties Monday marked the 66th anniversary of Japan's surrender by visiting Tokyo's contentious Yasukuni Shrine, which honors the nation's war dead as well as Class-A war criminals.

Considering in particular the sensitivities of other parts of Asia, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and his Cabinet skipped the visit. It is the second year in a row a Democratic Party of Japan-led Cabinet opted on Aug. 15 to avoid drawing further fury, particularly from China and South Korea. Kan said last year he will not visit the shrine as long as he is in office.

Lawmakers who visited Yasukuni include former internal affairs and communications minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi of the DPJ, Kokumin Shinto (People's New Party) leader Shizuka Kamei and party colleague Takashi Morita, a parliamentary secretary of the internal affairs ministry.

"Personally, I feel sad," Morita told reporters, regretting that the Cabinet didn't visit the shrine. "This year, we experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake. I prayed for the unity of the country and the people."

Toshiei Mizoochi, a Liberal Democratic Party member and an executive of a lawmaker group promoting Yasukuni visits, agreed.

LDP President Sadakazu Tanigaki, ex-Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara went there separately.

View the original article here

Japan Gives Visa to Convicted Former Thai Leader - New York Times

The decision announced Monday by the Japanese government comes less than two weeks after Mr. Thaksin’s younger sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, was named Thai prime minister.

Ms. Yingluck has gone out of her way to play down any influence that her brother may exert on her administration, and she has deflected questions about amnesty for him. But Mr. Thaksin is widely believed to be playing a key role as adviser and kingmaker to the new government. He was also instrumental in the election victory of Ms. Yingluck and her party in July.

The visa issue threatens to detract attention from Ms. Yingluck’s economic agenda, which includes sharp rises in minimum wages and guaranteed prices for rice.

Opposition politicians in Thailand criticized the issuance of the visa and described Mr. Thaksin as a fugitive from justice. Mr. Thaksin was stripped of his Thai passport by the previous government. He is believed to travel internationally with a passport issued by Montenegro, where he received citizenship last year.

In issuing him a visa, Japan appears to have waived a rule that restricts foreigners with criminal records from entering the country.

Surpong Tovijakchaikul, Thailand’s new foreign minister, said Mr. Thaksin had requested the visa on his own. But Reuters quoted Yukio Edano, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, as saying that the Yingluck government had “asked for our help” in issuing the visa and that Japan took the step out of consideration for “bilateral ties.”

Thai media reports say Mr. Thaksin plans to visit the areas of Japan that were hit by the earthquake and tsunami in March.

View the original article here