A new initiative in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to
document abuses committed between 1931 and 1945 by Japanese forces
has aroused much interest among fellow survivors in China.
The investigation committee for the truth of the forced
mobilization of Koreans under the colonial rule of Korea by the
Japanese imperialists started work on February 1, and is due to
collect and scrutinize reports of exploitation and mistreatment
until the end of June.
The committee is seeking information from those who were forced
to work as soldiers, laborers and "comfort women" from September
18, 1931 to the end of WWII. On the first day alone, they received
2,573 reports from survivors and their relatives all over South
Korea.
This South Korean project has attracted the attention of
compensation campaigners in China. The founder of the Civil Claims
Against Japan Campaign, Tong Zeng, thinks that the Chinese
government should work with them to systematically collect evidence
of crimes committed here.
"This is very important not only to the living but also to the
departed," said Tong.
He added that this year, the 60th anniversary of victory in the
War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, provides an
opportunity to record history before more victims pass away and
their stories lost forever.
He said the government could authorize departments like the
Ministry of Civil Affairs to work with the Red Cross Society
of China and other associations and individuals on this
issue.
So far, groups seeking claims against Japanese war abuses have
documented use of chemical weapons, forced labor and germ warfare.
But due to a lack of organization and coordination, the evidence
has not been collated in a systematic way.
One expert on Japanese issues said that it is an enormous
project that faces difficulties in terms of funding and
coordination, and could not rely on academia alone.
Tong received more than 10,000 letters from across the country
after publicizing the thinking behind civil claims against Japan at
the beginning of 1990s. He is publishing them online at
www.tzsl.org and expects to finish his work by June. The documents
bear powerful witness against crimes committed by Japanese
troops.
Li Dunqiu, an expert on Korean Peninsula issues, said that the
South Korean government's endeavors to investigate this aspect of
history will help Koreans, especially youngsters, in understanding
and reflecting on the Japanese invasion, and that it should be
supported by China.
(China Youth Daily translated by Li Shen for
China.org.cn, February 6, 2005)