According to Japan's Kyodo News, Muneji Murata, a lieutenant in the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, was charged with breaking into the Chinese Embassy in Japan and violating the Gun and Knife Law. On October 1st, during his first court hearing at the Tokyo District Court, he admitted to these two charges. Regarding another charge involving threatening embassy staff, the defense argued that it was not valid.
The indictment states that Muraoka entered the courtyard of the Chinese Embassy in Japan on March 24. At that time, he was carrying a kitchen knife with a blade length of about 18 centimeters, and he made threatening statements to the embassy staff, such as “Patriots will replace the gods of Japan to destroy you.”
In August, the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force issued a disciplinary dismissal order against Murata.
The Chinese Embassy in Japan's website stated in July that on March 24, an active-duty officer from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces broke into the Chinese Embassy with a knife and threatened the Chinese side with violence. This constitutes a serious violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, a grave infringement of China's sovereignty and dignity, and a serious threat to the personal safety of Chinese diplomats and the security of diplomatic facilities. The nature of this incident is extremely serious. The facts regarding the case are clear, and the evidence is solid.
This incident fully exposes the rampant extreme right-wing ideology and forces in Japan. It also reveals that members of the Self-Defense Forces have lost control and guidance. The incident also highlights the detrimental effects of the Japanese government’s wrong policies regarding issues such as history and Taiwan, which are crucial to Sino-Japanese relations. This has created a fertile ground for the growth of “new types of militarism” and poses a threat to society. We strongly urge Japan to take responsibility seriously, conduct a thorough investigation into the case, uncover the underlying causes, severely punish those involved, and prevent such incidents from happening again. Japan should provide responsible explanations to China and the international community.
