From: rto051@hippo.sps.mot.com (Chang Suk-Kyung)
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japan
Originator: root@mogate.sps.mot.com
Organization: TDO
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 07:39:01 GMT

In article <Aug.16.22.13.03.1992.5167@sol.rutgers.edu> lixj@sol.rutgers.edu (Xiao-jian Li) writes:
>[garbage deleted]

Looks like maybe a case of GIGO?  :)

>You simply get it wrong. It is not the goverment who askes for the Japaness
>apology. It is us people, whose grandparents, parents, brothers and
>sisters been slaughterd, raped, tortured by the barbarious Japaness
>soldiers, who deserve an apology from the Japaness. And I believe we
>will get it sooner or later no matter what.

This might be interesting for those of you who believe that the Japanese
know nothing about WWII and what their country did:

In the last two weeks I have seen three (3) programs on TV which dealt
with Japan and their actions during WWII.  (I don't sit home and watch
TV all day, so there may have been more.)  One was a movie (called "Dai
Nippon Teikoku") which, in part, showed the Army officials ordering their
subordinates to abandon the civilian women and children so that the 
soldiers could retreat faster.  It also showed civilian suicides before
the advancing American army, with some implication that the suicides were
at least influenced by (if not forced by) the army.

Another program spent an hour talking about perceptions of the war,
focusing on high school text books.  They interviewed Americans and
Japanese about their impressions of the atomic bombings and the 
motivations for the bombings.  They then quoted portions of Japanese
and American texts and analyzed the differences.  They did similar
segments on Nanjing (with quotes from Chinese and Japanese texts,
interviews, etc.) and the importing of Korean labor, including the
"comfort girls" (again, complete with text quotations, interviews with
people about their impressions, and interviews with Koreans in Japan
who were brought to Japan during the war).

Another program talked about some of the slaughters (such as Nanjing)
that took place in China.  They interviewed Chinese who witnessed them,
and showed places where the Chinese were buried, including hills that
have bones washed out of them every time it rains.

What's the point?  The average Japanese is perhaps not so clueless as
some people like to claim.  They are certainly slow in admitting their
crimes, but the awareness is there and building.  Documentaries like 
these make prime-time TV.  I have never heard of anyone watching these
types of programs and saying, "yeah, wasn't it great?"  It's always
"hidoi, ne.  Moshiwake nai ne."  The average Japanese seems to realize
that their country was at fault, and they feel bad about it.

As for the apology, I seem to remember the Japanese PM making public
apology several times in speeches given throughout Asia.  The first
one I can recall was in Singapore, either late last year or early
this year.

Since apparantly that wasn't good enough for you, my wife (who is 
Japanese) said to tell you all that she apologizes for herself and
on behalf of her country for what they did.  Since it's not the 
government but the people that are asking for the apology, I assume
you'll accept one not from the government but from the people?

Somehow I get the feeling that this will satisfy you either...
-- 
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THIS IS A BORROWED ACCOUNT!          David Luke
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