The question of national responsibility for crimes against humanity became an urgent topic due to the charge of ethnic cleansing against the previous Yugoslav government. But that was not the first such urging of legal and moral responsibility for war crimes. While the Nazi German regime has been prototypical, the actions of the Japanese military regime have been receiving increasing prominence and attention. Indeed, Peter Li's volume examines the phenomenon of denial as well as the deeds of destruction.
Certainly one of the most troublesome unresolved problems facing many Asian and Western countries after the Asia Pacific war (19311945) is the question of the atrocities committed by the Japanese Imperial Army throughout Asia and the Japanese government's repeated attempts to whitewash their wartime responsibilities. The psychological and physical wounds suffered by victims, their families, and relations remain unhealed after more than half a century, and the issue is now pressing. This collection undertakes the critical task of addressing some of the multifaceted and complex issues of Japanese war crimes and redress.
This collection is divided into five themes. In "It's Never Too Late to Seek Justice," the issues of reconciliation, accountability, and Emperor Hirohito's responsibility for war crimes are explored. "The American POW Experience Remembered" includes a moving account of the Bataan Death March by an American ex-soldier. "Psychological Responses" discusses the socio-psychological affects of the Nanjing Massacre and Japanese vivisection on Chinese subjects. The way in which Japanese war atrocities have been dealt with in the theater and cinema is the focus of "Artistic Responses." And central to "History Must not Forget" are the questions of memory, trauma, biological warfare, and redress. Included in this volume are samples of the many presentations given at the International Citizens' Forum on War Crimes and Redress held in Tokyo in December 1999.
Japanese War Crimes will be mandatory reading for those interested in East Asian history, genocide studies, and international politics.
Peter Li has been editor-in-chief of
East Asia: An International Quarterly and associate professor of Asian Studies and Comparative Literature at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
"...essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of human rights. This excellent anthology, based on a landmark conference in Tokyo, exposes not only the staggering scale of the Pacific Holocaust, but the global dimensions of a movement, half a century later, to seek full disclosure and redress for the victims. A multitude of perspectives can be found in this extraordinary book--those of historian and politician, activist and artist, perpetrator and victim--which, like strands woven into tapestry, offer a densely textured portrait of Japan's horrific legacy of genocide and denial. Collectively, these essays tell an epic story of atrocity and amnesia, ultimately defeated by a worldwide struggle for Remembrance."--Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II
"For those who do not know much about the Asia-Pacific War, for those who would like to find out more, for those who are struggling to comprehend one of the darkest chapters of history and for those who are calling for an official and unequivocal apology and due compensation from Japan, this edition is a must. It engages us on all levels: historical, artistic, psychological, political and philosophical. Then transcending these levels, it becomes a clarion call for the international community to embark on the only road that would lead to a better future for us all. This road would start with Japan's being held accountable for its crimes against humanity and its full acceptance of that responsibility; it would continue with ensuring justice for its victims and would end with reconciliat
