From: hsteve@carina.unm.edu ()
Subject: Japanese cannibalism in WWII (atrocities ignored by the Japanese)
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 92 01:00:34 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

>In article <1992Aug23.014604.729@leland.Stanford.EDU>,
>underdog@leland.Stanford.EDU (Dwight Joe) writes:
>> A Nazi or a Chinese-cu deserves no respect from me.
>... On the same note, I
>do not think existing jungle tribes practising canabalism, head hunting
>etc should be treated as lesser beings and could be thus justifiably
>hunted down and destroyed.

>>Note that a person who commits cannabalism in a Western nation &
>>Japan would be "hunted down" by the police.  In certain states in
>>the USA, that person would then be convicted and "destroyed"
>>by capital punishment.

>>Similarly, I have no problem with tracking down each and every
>>Chinese-cu savage who, around 1949, participated in the massacre
>>of Taiwanese-ge when the Chinese-cu savages invaded the island.
>>But do you know what?  Ms. Hong, this won't happen.  The Chinese-cu
>>won't do it.  (The same applies to each and every Chinese-cu
>>savage who massacred a Tibetan.)

Here is an article from the associated press Sydney, Australia by Geoff
Spencer.

		"Historian Documents Japanese Cannibalism in WWII"
   For six months, historian Toshiyuki Tanaka dug through Australian archives
to tell his country that som Japanese soldiers were cannibals during the last
desperate days of World War II.  
     Allied forces have known this for years.  But Tanaka's account, published
in the Tokyo media recently, represents the first Japanese investigation into
astrocities and the most extensive study of the subject to date.
	Tanaka, an associate professor of political science at the University
of Melbourne, said he uncovered more than 100 cases of Japanese Imperial
Army soldiers eating the flesh of Australian troops, Asian laborers and 
indigenous people in Papua New Guinea.
	"These documents clearly show that this cannibalism was done by a 
whole group of Japanese soldiers, and in some cases they were not even
starving," Tanaka said Tuesday.
	Some, their supply lines cut off, were genuinely hungry.  But in the
other cases, officers ordered troops to eat human flesh to give them a 
"feeling of victory," Tanaka said.
	Born after his country's defeat, the 43-year-old Tanaka wants to 
educate young Japanese "who are not told anything" about the war at a time
when their leaders are considering earsing sections of its postwar cons-
titution that prohibits sending troops overseas.
	Tanaka said he tried several times to publish his work in Japan
but it was deemed "too sensitive."
	His account didn't receive much attention Tuesday in Japanese TV
and newspapers.  The Mainichi newspaper placed it inside, on page six.
	Tanaka's findings are based on Japanese army documents seized by
Australian troops, plus the testimony of witnesses and the confessions of
Japanese soldiers at war-crime trials.
	An English translation of a secret Imperial Army order-issued 
Nov. 18, 1944-warned troops that cannibalizing anyone not an enemy was
punishable by death.
	The order described cannibalism as the "worst human crime" and
blamed increases in murders and the possessions of human flesh by soldiers
on a "lack of thoroughness in moral training."
	Another archive contained testimony by Australian troops to war-
crimes tribunals.
	An Australian army corporal recounted how he found the mutilated
bodies of his comrades.  One had only the hands and feet untouched.
	An Australian lieutenant described finding the dismembered remains
of several bodies, saying: "In all caes, the condition of the remains were
such that there can be no doubt that the bodies had been dismembered and
portions of flesh cooked."
	Other witnesses reported they saw Japanese soldiers eating 
prisoners of war as well as Indian and Asian laborers and Papua New 
Guineans.
	A Pakistani corporal, captured in Singapore and transported to 
Papua New Guinea for slave labor, claimed hungry Japanese soldiers killed
and ate one prisoner a day, reaching a total of "about 100."
	In Canberra, Australian National University war historian Hank
Nelson said cannibalism took place in isolated fighting zones such
as the Kokoda Trail, Sepik River and Bougainville Island.
	Nelson said on young Japanese soldier confessed at a war-crimes
trial he ate the flesh of an Australian he had shot in battle.  "He
simply said he did it out of intense hatred and intese hunger," Nelson
said.
	Bruce Ruxton, Victoria state president of the Returned Services 
League, which represents Australian veterans, said the atrocities had
been IGNORED by the Japanese people for 50 years.
	"Cannibalism did take place," he said adding: "But all of these 
sorts of things have been kept under wraps in Japan since then.
------------------------End of article--------------------------------

May be Dwight Joe can give us an explaination.   


-- 
    _---_     Steve  
   / o o \    hsteve@hydra.unm.edu, hsteve@carina.unm.edu
  | \___/ |   
              Just say NO to VMS!!
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