60th anniversary
Today is the 60th anniversay of "the end of World War II in the Pacific" (BBC), or "the defeat and surrender of Japan in the WWII" (Singtao, a Hong Kong local newspaper).
For the Chinese people, this date signifies the end of Japanese invasion and occupations and the sufferings caused by it. There are official and popular memorials and condemnations every year, calling the world to "never forget" about the atrocities and the lessons learnt.
Some friends asked me, "what exactly are the Chinese nagging about?" They don't quite understand why this is still causing diplomatic rolls between Japan and China as well as other Asian countries. The article "Japan's problem over the past", 15 August 2005, BBC News online summaries well:
We are not very "nationalist" in Hong Kong, normally, but even a primary school pupil there can tell you the above arguement. But the acknowledging of such facts by Japanese people themselves and its being published by a dominant media like the BBC is definitely precious.
I also remember when I was very little, I used to feel thankful for the United States ending the war in Pacific - but then I grew up to learn that it wasn't all that straight forward - our salvation was accompanied by the massacre in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs, an equally atrocious crime committed by the only country on earth who has ever really put their nuclear weapons into use - and who now has been accusing other countries of having the intentions to build or use nuclear weapons.
Chinese always associate this date with the Nanjing Massacre. Whether it was Nanjing, Hiroshima or Nagasaki, it was massacre that took place. Let us all call things by its name.
For the Chinese people, this date signifies the end of Japanese invasion and occupations and the sufferings caused by it. There are official and popular memorials and condemnations every year, calling the world to "never forget" about the atrocities and the lessons learnt.
Some friends asked me, "what exactly are the Chinese nagging about?" They don't quite understand why this is still causing diplomatic rolls between Japan and China as well as other Asian countries. The article "Japan's problem over the past", 15 August 2005, BBC News online summaries well:
- "And unlike Germany, Japan has been equivocal about its apologies and the way it teaches its young people about what happened.
Although there are exceptions, Japanese school textbooks tend to skate over atrocities committed by their troops - a fact which prompts its neighbours to say Japan's apologies are insincere ...
Although that represents the hard-line end of Japanese nationalism, his sentiments are tacitly accepted by many Japanese.
This may explain why several high-profile Japanese politicians, including current Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, feel able to regularly pay their respects at the Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo, which along with other Japanese war dead honours 14 Class A war criminals. "
We are not very "nationalist" in Hong Kong, normally, but even a primary school pupil there can tell you the above arguement. But the acknowledging of such facts by Japanese people themselves and its being published by a dominant media like the BBC is definitely precious.
I also remember when I was very little, I used to feel thankful for the United States ending the war in Pacific - but then I grew up to learn that it wasn't all that straight forward - our salvation was accompanied by the massacre in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by atomic bombs, an equally atrocious crime committed by the only country on earth who has ever really put their nuclear weapons into use - and who now has been accusing other countries of having the intentions to build or use nuclear weapons.
Chinese always associate this date with the Nanjing Massacre. Whether it was Nanjing, Hiroshima or Nagasaki, it was massacre that took place. Let us all call things by its name.
Categories: Asia, China, History
posted by Man Yee at 12:15 pm
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