Indonesian FM visits Japanese Embassy, pens note to condole Shinzo Abe's demise
Jul 11, 2022
Bali [Indonesia], July 11 : Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Monday visited the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia and offered her condolences over the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The Foreign Minister called Abe a "true friend" of Indonesia. Taking to Twitter, Indonesian FM wrote, "He will forever be remembered as a true friend of Indonesia. Selamat Jalan Abe-san (Goodbye Shinzo Abe). Today at Embassy of Japan, I conveyed deepest condolences of the people and government of Indonesia on the passing of Former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo."
Abe was attacked on Friday morning in the city of Nara during his campaign speech. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet).
Police said Abe was conscious immediately after being wounded, but then, during transportation, his condition became critical "with cardiac and pulmonary arrest." Later in the day, Nara Medical University hospital pronounced him dead.
On Saturday, the head of police in Nara Prefecture, Kazuo Ohashi, said the potential security issues in the case of the assassination of Shinzo Abe cannot be denied. "There is no denying that there was a security issue there," the official said in a press conference.
According to Ohashi, the assassination was an act of "inexcusable barbarism," and it is necessary to investigate the case "in the most thorough way."
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida earlier in his live address to the country said "this is not a forgivable act," and that authorities would "take appropriate measures to handle the situation."
The posthumous award to Abe comes after Japan's ruling party recorded a sweeping victory in Sunday's House of Councillors election, helping pro-constitutional amendment forces retain the two-thirds majority needed to push for revising the country's Constitution, an unaccomplished goal of Abe.
Prime Minister Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party got 63 seats or more than half of the 125 seats up for grabs.
