Former mayor wants war apology - The Worcester Observer

Former mayor wants war apology

Worcester Editorial 14th Aug, 2021   0

A FORMER Worcester mayor whose father was captured as a prisoner of war by the Japanese during the Second World War has repeated his calls for the nation to apologise for its ‘war crimes’.

Alan Amos once again used the upcoming VJ Day commemorations on Sunday (August 15) to repeat his controversial views on the use of atomic bombs during the conflict.

The United States carried out two bombings of Hiroshima in August 1945, during the final stage of the Second World War.

At least 129,000 people were killed in the attacks which remain the only use of nuclear weapons for warfare in history.




While the use of the weapons is widely believed to have shortened the conflict, the images of the attack remain a stark reminder of the conflict to this day.

Despite this the outspoken former first citizen, who remains a local councillor, repeated his earlier claim the world should be ‘grateful’ for the actions of the United States.


“Thank goodness the Allies had the two atomic bombs needed to end Japanese barbarity in the Far East which saved millions of Allied and Asian lives,” he said.

“We must never forget the crimes against humanity Japan committed on the Allies and Asian civilians.

“It is sickening Japan has never apologized for their war crimes, they were only sorry for having lost a war that they started.

Japan has repeatedly expressed remorse and offered ‘heartfelt apologies’ for its actions during the Second World War.

However in a speech to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ Day in 2015, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: “We must not let our children, grandchildren, and even further generations to come, who have nothing to do with that war, be predestined to apologise.”

Coun Amos claimed the country’s only regret was it ‘lost the war they started’.

“Even today, the Japanese leadership worship at the Yasukuni shrine where the hanged Japanese war criminals are buried; school text books lie about their atrocities, denying the mass murder of 250,000 Chinese civilians in Nanking and they are now changing the constitution to re-arm; and regularly provoke China over tiny Pacific islands.”

“It is an insult to all our brave troops who gave their lives for this country officialdom prefers to suck up to Japanese business rather than remember the millions killed and brutalised.”

“Please remember our heroes; and don’t forgive the Japanese until they are sorry.”

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