From: lor@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (edward.lor)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean,soc.culture.asian.american,soc.culture.asean
Subject: An open letter to Emperor Akihito of Japan
Date: 18 Aug 92 21:45:59 GMT
Organization: AT&T


Dear friends:

As you may know from the news media, Emperor Akihito is
planning a visit to China later this year.  Historically, this will
be the first visit of a Japanese Emperor to China.  Incidentally,
this year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of
diplomatic relation between the two countries.  Thus Akihito's visit
no doubt will be one of the most significant events in the history
of Sino-Japanese relation.

It is time to let our voice be heard, otherwise our silence will
be interpreted as consent to Japan's irresponsible attitude
toward the crime she did to our country during the Sino-Japanese War.
In order to urge Emperor Akihito to "take positive actions to put the
Sino-Japanese relationship in the proper context," we have drafted 
an open letter to the Emperor, which we have enclosed a copy for your
perusal.

If you agree to the content of this open letter, please endorse 
it as an individual or an organization and e-mail it back to me.

For further information, please contact Edward Lor at 
lor@mtdcr.att.com.
 
New Jersey Hong Kong Network

*******************************************************************

       Your Majesty:

            As you contemplate the first visit by a Japanese Emperor to
       China, we sincerely hope that you would keep in mind the
       historical perspective of the Sino-Japanese relationship.

            Japan's unprovoked invasion of China claimed as many as 15
       million lives and caused irreparable suffering to many millions
       more.  In the Rape of Nanking alone, three hundred thousand
       Chinese were tortured and mass executed by the Japanese Army, in
       addition to rampant raping, looting, and burning of the city.
       Yet, Japan has never expressed remorse, let alone apologized to
       China, for the crimes and atrocities she committed.

            The world has not forgotten the atrocities committed by the
       Japanese soldiers in Asia from 1931-45, and Chinese all over the
       world are still demanding that the Japanese government handle
       this tragic history in a responsible and honorable way.

            With regard to your contemplated visit to China, we strongly
       request that you

         1.  formally apologize to China for the war crimes committed by
             Japan, including the establishment of wartime-brothels,

         2.  begin a thorough review of Japan's school textbooks to
             ensure that the coverage of the Sino-Japanese war is
             presented in a truthful way,

         3.  visit the site of the Rape of Nanking and pay respect to
             the victims, and

         4.  discuss appropriate compensation for Japan's war crimes in
             China.

            We sincerely urge Your Majesty to lead your country to
       examine, acknowledge, and compensate for Japan's war crimes.
       This not only will help repair the broken friendship between
       Japan and her neighbors, but also will serve as a reminder to the
       Japanese people and potential aggressors in this world of the
       horrors of war.  Unless these positive actions are taken to show
       Japan's sincere remorse for the inhumane suffering inflicted upon
       her neighbors during the invasions, and to demonstrate a genuine
       commitment to prevent future aggression, Japan will never be
       truly regarded as a respectable power by nations around the
       world.

       The undersigned are organizations or individuals around the
       world:

       New Jersey Hong Kong Network

-- 
                                          Edward Lor
                                          lor@cbnewsk.att.com
                                          
Newsgroups: soc.culture.korean