Kyuma resigns as defense minister

   Faced with strong public criticism of his remark that the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki “couldn’t be helped,” Defense Minister Kyuma Fumio on July 3 was forced to resign apparently in order to minimize the adverse impact of his remark on the ruling parties in the House of Councilors election.

   Kyuma handed in his resignation to Prime Minister Abe Shinzo at the prime minister’s official residence, and Abe accepted it.

   At a press conference when he announced his resignation, Kyuma offered Hibakusha his apology, but said nothing indicating that he seriously reflected on what he had said.

   Concerning Kyuma’s resignation, Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on the same day said, “His resignation is a matter of course. At the same time, Prime Minister Abe himself bears heavy responsibility for this because he appointed Kyuma as a minister and has continued to defend him after he made the remark.”

   “The crux of this issue is that Mr. Kyuma thinks that nuclear weapons may be used depending on the situation. He should have shared the idea that the use of nuclear weapons must never be allowed. Prime Minister Abe has failed to show that he has a good judgment on this issue. The qualification of Mr. Abe as the prime minister of the atom-bombed nation, therefore, is called into question,” said Shii.

   Kyuma is the second minister to resign from the Abe Cabinet after Sata Gen’ichiro who resigned as administrative reform minister over his falsified political funds report. Among senior officials appointed by Abe, Honma Masaaki resigned as Tax Commission chair and Matsuoka Toshikatsu committed suicide.                                       

- Akahata, July 4, 2007