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
(1931u1945) 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.
General
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