Japan must admit its guilt

It is therefore understandable that Shinzo Abe is not welcomed to the US Congress, and the National Assembly of South Korea/

But what of the 20,000 Australian soldiers taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942? Many were taken from Singapore and Java to various locations in Burma and Thailand. 12 000 worked on the Burma-Thailand Death Railway.

Australian soldiers were forced to move two cubic metres of earth, regardless of their level of health, size, or physical capabilities. They were given no tools and were usually without shoes or clothes, other than underpants, swimming trunks or handmade loin cloths." As well as enduring the dreadful living conditions, poor food, diseases, tropical ulcers, and the relentless 24 hour work shifts, they were cruelly treated.- they "were hit anywhere and everywhere - in the groin, on ulcers and wounds, broken bones, faces, necks, backs......The Japanese guards often punished the sick and injured as a deterrent to falling ill in the first place....2646 died of starvation, disease, exhaustion, and brutality.

Some Australians are not happy with Tony Abbott's government's sycophantic attitude to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Addressing the Parliament on the visit of Abe, Tony Abbott admired the skill and the sense of honour of Japanese submariners. RSL president Rear Admiral Ken Doolan said that many RSL soldiers would not agree, and would say that some Japanese forces in WW2 did not behave with honour.

I am appalled that the Australian government is oblivious to the international reputation of Shinzo Abe as one who would sweep all that history under the carpet. His attitude is in contrast to that of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has very publicly recognised the German atrocities - "we have an everlasting responsibility for the crimes of national-socialism, for the victims of World War II, and above all, for the Holocaust...".

Australia's international relations are not served well by the way that Abbott has cosied up to Shinzo Abe. For a start, we might consider Australia's largest trading partner, China. Trade Minister Andrew Robb Mr Robb, speaking on Sky News's Australian Agenda on July 14 assured us that Australia's new special relationship with Japan is not affecting our relationship with China. Yet on 9th July, China's official newsagency described Abbott's praise of Japanese forces in World War 2 as "appalling" and "insensible" and "under a moral bottom line."

As Australia gears up to buy Japanese defence equipment and technology, and as Shinzo Abe addresses Parliament on moving our two countries closer to a strategic defence alliance, we might wonder about the wisdom of aligning Australia militarily with Japan

One champion of the water, Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser was ecstatic to meet Prime Minister Abe - "it was a great honour.... He's a lovely prime minister".

I'm not sure that those other great swimmers, the whales, would agree.