Nanjing Massacre Dispute Returns

Revisionism of Shinzo Abe administration was again targeted by its neighbor nation. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization announced that it registered the documents on Nanjing Massacre, one of the greatest violations against humanity by wartime Japan, in Memory of the World. While Abe and his political aides were working hard, upholding an argument that pre-war Japan has not been so bad, the U.N. body approached an opinion against Japan. There are some more issues, to which its neighbors are focusing for accusing old Japan.

According to Mainichi Shimbun, UNESCO registered eleven documents about Nanjing Massacre, including diary of an administrator of women’s school dormitory, video footage filmed by an American priest, or photographs of raping by Japanese soldiers. In the application form, China argued that Far East War Crime Tribunal had referred to Nanjing Massacre as various atrocities in Nanjing city or slaughter of two hundred thousands of civilians and custodies in the first six weeks. China tried to persuade UNESCO, raising evidences by the third party.

Mainichi quoted opinion of a Chinese official who referred to Abe’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine in December of 2013 as a momentum for China’s political pressure on Japan. Since waning attitude toward Japan might significantly erode political basis of Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping ordered application of Naijing Massacre to Memory of the World at that period of time. Abe’s move to justify Japan’s negative past invited consistent resentment against Japan.

Japan immediately hit out. “The submitted documents were based on China’s unilateral assertions, and Japan believes that there are obvious problems with the documents’ integrity and authenticity,” said a statement issued by a spokesperson with Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Japanese government is supposed to urge UNESCO not to apply the documents as Memory of the World.

However, Japan has no perspective of victory. What Japan disputes is the number of victims, which Japan argues as difficult to determine while China raises three hundred thousands or more. Japan is struggling about a fact no one can determine now. Whether its more or less than three hundred thousands, it must be true that Japanese Imperial Army made a serious violation of international law.

Japan has not submitted evidence that would deny the argument of China. It is well known that Japanese bureaucrats burned a vast amount of official documents just before the surrender in 1945. Dishonest attitude of Japanese bureaucrats on information, which was also seen in the legislature of designated secrecy law, disturbs its dispute in international politics. “We need to review donation to UNESCO,” told Toshihiro Nikai, Chairman of General Council of Liberal Democratic Party, embarrassingly enough. I hope you to have enough money to buy history, Mr. Nikai.