TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent a message to a memorial service dedicated to World War II war criminals, organisers said on Wednesday, in a move that could prompt anger from Asian neighbours.

In the ceremony organised by former Japanese military officers, some 220 people prayed before a cenotaph on which the names of around 1,180 suspected and convicted World War II war criminals are inscribed, organisers said.

They include 14 “Class A” war criminals, who are also enshrined at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, a spot seen in mainland Asia as a symbol of Japan’s past aggression.

The service took place on April 29 at a temple in Wakayama prefecture in western Japan, and the master of the ceremony read the message from Abe, an organiser said.

In his message, Abe said: “I express my grief at the death of martyrs...who sacrificed their lives to form the foundation of peace and prosperity in Japan today,” according to two participants and a report by the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.

“I pledge to work towards the future harmonious coexistence of human beings, and hope for eternal peace,” the message said.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2014