Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Japan’s request to remove the monument: The flowers themselves are not guilty, but the Japanese militarists are to blame

China News Service, Moscow, September 9 (Reporter Tian Bing) In response to Japan's request for Russia to dismantle the monument to the victory over militaristic Japan and related remarks, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said on the 9th that the flowers themselves are not guilty, but the Japanese militarists are to blame, and called on Japan to truly reflect.

Zakharova said that the city of Khabarovsk, the capital of the Khabarovsk Territory in the Russian Far East, held an unveiling ceremony for a monument to the victory over militaristic Japan on September 4. The monument's sculpture depicts a Soviet soldier stepping on a broken border marker carved with a chrysanthemum pattern. The Consulate General of Japan in Khabarovsk requested Russia in the form of a diplomatic note to remove the boundary marker part of the monument on the grounds that the chrysanthemum coat of arms is a symbol of the Japanese royal family. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also posted on social media asking Russia to remove the monument on the grounds that it "hurts the feelings of the Japanese people."

Zakharova pointed out that the chrysanthemum pattern not only appeared on various medals of Japan's war of aggression and expansion, but was also engraved on its weapons. The Japanese militarism held up these symbols and massacred thousands of innocent civilians. "When the Japanese militarists massacred our country and Chinese civilians, weren't they holding these symbols? Weren't they holding these 'flowers'? Did they ever take into account the feelings of others at that time? Obviously not."

She said that Japanese politicians often visit the Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class-A war criminals of World War II. To Japan's neighbors, this is a sign of Japan's refusal to acknowledge its war crimes, which have brought serious disasters to the people of Asia. Russia has been calling on Japan to respect the outcome of World War II, but Japan has turned a deaf ear and turned a blind eye.

Zakharova stressed that Japan's request for the Khabarovsk monument violated Russia's sovereignty and was an attempt to once again mislead the international community and tamper with Japan's militaristic history. "They ask us to understand and even forgive the bloody crimes committed under that symbol. The flower itself is not guilty, the blame lies with the Japanese militarists. We will not forget, we will remember it, and we must never forget it."

Zakharova said it was recommended that the Japanese leadership give up visiting the Yasukuni Shrine and "take an active act of repentance and finally clearly and unequivocally acknowledge the crimes committed by Japanese militarism against the people of neighboring countries." (over)