Looking for loopholes
To excuse the inexcusable, Japan again resorts to obfuscation
FOR years, Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, has been playing with diplomatic fire over a sordid part of wartime history: the herding of thousands of women across Asia into Japanese-army brothels. An investigation he ordered into a landmark apology to the “comfort women” might have helped end the controversy. Instead, it has further muddied the waters. That may indeed have been Mr Abe’s intention.
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Looking for loopholes”
From the June 28th 2014 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Asia
By resisting arrest, South Korea’s president challenges democracy
His attempt to impose martial law failed. But Yoon Suk Yeol is still causing trouble
How 1.4bn Indians are adapting to climate change
As heat, floods and drought get worse, people are getting creative
Economic bright spots are getting harder to find in Thailand
Falling car production is a sign of a deeper malaise
Another accidental aircraft shootdown is a matter of when, not if
The spread of conflict in Asia threatens the safety of air travellers
Why you’re not on holiday in India right now
A fabulous destination for foreign tourists does little to lure them
Singapore’s government is determined to keep hawker centres alive
Why is the city-state’s bare-bones government running a bureaucracy of stir-fries?