Lobbying over World Heritage

Lobbying of Japan in Unite Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for nominating Japanese industrial relics to World Heritage provoked outstanding resistance of South Korea and China. A group of old facilities for the nomination included factories where the Koreans or Chinese brought from the continent had been forced heavy labor. These anti-Japanese governments rejected to go through those historical facts. Negative attitude of Japanese top political leader in accepting inconvenient historical events affected to diplomacy over preservation of culture.

Earlier this month, South Korea responded to the recommendation of UNESCO for registering twenty-three old industrial facilities to World Cultural Heritage. Government of Republic of Korea argued that fifty-seven thousand of Koreans were mobilized for forced labor in seven facilities, including coalmines or iron works, out of the twenty-three. “Registration ignoring problems bothers basic concept of World Heritage, which protects universal values of human being,” told officials of ROK. South Korean Parliament passed a resolution that blamed Japan of nominating wrong facilities for World Heritage.

China joined that anti-Japan lobbying. Recognizing this year as an opportunity for appealing its war-winning status seventy years ago, China has been active in diplomacy related to historical interpretation of Japan. Although it is not a member of the consultation committee, China demanded UNESCO responsible measures in registration of World Heritage. Current tendency in China, in which old workers and their families under Japanese administration require compensation to Japanese government or private corporation, encourages the government to take bold steps toward undermining diplomatic standpoint of Japan.

Japanese government has been dealing with their opposition through counter-lobbying. Diplomats are approaching members of the committee for further understanding. Picking the resolution in South Korean Parliament that meanwhile criticized speech of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at U.S. Senate and Congress, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, condemned South Korea as “rude.”

Counter actions by South Korea and China stemmed from Abe’s designated ignorance of history before and after World War II. Abe is still reluctant to admit Japan’s aggression to Asian countries and involvement of Japanese Imperial Army in recruiting comfort women. As long as he maintains negative attitude in facing historical fact, historical appeal of Japan will definitely face resistance of those neighbor nations, eroding Japan’s national interest.