NAGPULONG sa Japan ang civil group na tinawag na connecting memories of Nanjing na pinamumunuan ni Tamaki Matsuoka, dating history teacher sa Japan.
Ito ay upang muling alalahanin ang karanasan ng mga nakaligtas sa Nanjing massacre tatlumpung taon na ang nakakaraan.
“There are strong forces in Japanese society to deny the Nanjing Massacre, including among some prominent politicians. I have been collecting testimonies from the victims in Nanjing and recording them. I share them publicly through events to help more Japanese people understand that this is an iron-clad fact,” Tamaki Matsuoka, Japanese activist said.
Sa mga testimonyang nakolekta ay hindi maiwasan ni Matsuoka na maiyak sa mga hindi makataong gawain ng Japanese military noong World War 2.
“One person who left a deep impression on me is an elderly woman named Zhang Xiuying. When I talked to her about inviting her to Japan to participate in a Testimony Gathering and provide evidence to the Japanese people that the Nanjing Massacre was real, Ms. Xiuying replied, ‘I won’t go to Japan. If I go to Japan, the Japanese people will kill me.’ I could sense the profound emotional trauma that the Japanese people had inflicted upon them,” he said.
“I am deeply shocked. How can someone as a human being commit such inhumane acts? Hearing such testimonies, I feel a sincere apology is due to them deep in my heart,” he added.
Ayon pa rito, mayroon ring mga biktima ng massacre na ito sa China na kinakailangan ng sinserong pakikipag-usap at paghingi ng tawad.
‘’To initiate truly friendly exchanges, it is necessary to first face up to history. The fact remains that many atrocities, including the use of poisonous gases, have occurred for which Japan must take responsibility. In China, there are descendants of these victims who deserve a sincere apology. History should not be distorted at will based on self-interest. I hope that the Japanese government can approach history with correctness and fairness,’’ Matsuoka said.
Pumunta si Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sa Yasukuni shrine, at nag alok ng ritwal roon.
Matatandaan na ang shrine na ito ang naging simbolo ng pagiging brutal noon ng mga militar ng bansa.
Pinarangalan rin rito ang labing-apat na class a Japanese war criminals noong World War 2 kabilang si Hideki Tojo.
Samantala, ang shrine na ito ay isang sanhi rin ng hindi pagkakaunawaan ng Japan kasama ang mga kalapit bansa nito.
