Re: Japan in WWII

[huy.duong@ctsu.ox.ac.uk]

Dear friends,

Please find below my reply to Anh Tsuchikawa. Please note that
although Anh Tsuchikawa sent his message to me, he intended it to
be a VNSA message. This is why I took the liberty to repost and reply
to it here.

Huy

Dear Anh Tsuchikawa,

On reflection, I think that although in 1952 Vietnam was not independent
and its foreign policy had to be approved by France, only treaties that
depended on Vietnam being a colony of France are invalid, so I accept that 
Vietnam's signature in the SF treaty is valid.  

Still, the North was not represented at all in the 1959 agreement
signed by the South. So it has no automatic validity for the whole
of Vietnam now.

Also, in 1959, people might have known about the Japanese war crimes
but they did not know the full extent of the crimes. Many of the crimes
that the Japanese committed in other countries only surfaced recently. 

<<<  (3)--> I think most of governers including Bao Dai, Giem, and their 
mandarins knew the truth.
         If they think Japan did crimes in the north, they should appeal 
at that time.>>>>>

They might have known that there was a crime, but they could not know the whole 
truth. Many of the crimes by the Japanese in all over Asia only surfaced
recently.   

<<<In this point, it is because of war.  Even United states did bombing to 
many Japanese cities and they killed so much citizenes more than 
Nangjing.  My relatives also killed by united states in 1945.  These "
crimes" happened under war.  And how did these things were solved by the 
world of diplomacy?>>>

See what I mean? Japan was more the victim than aggressor. 
 
Quantitatively: 

If you must compare the number of civilians killed, you must compare the number 
killed in Japan with the number killed in China, not the number killed in Japan 
with the number killed in Nangjing. Nangjing was not the only place in China or 
Asia in wich the Japanese army killed civilians.

Qualitatively: 

1) Japan was the aggressor, invader, war-starter. What it suffered
was what it brought on itself. What other people suffered was through
no fault of their own but the ambitions of Japan.

2) At Nangjing the Japanese army killed civilians and prisonsers AFTER they have 
surrendered. This cannot be compared to the killing of civilians by bombing
when the figting was still going on, even if that is wrong.
  
<<<I never support these comforting system.  But most of you don't 
recognize the truth, so I wrote about Koreans and Taiwanese. 
Additionally, how did US army do in Saigon and Danang?  Is it OK if they 
BUY girls by money?>>>

I believe prostitution exists wherever there are rich men and poor women.
What a prostitute and client do is not necessarily criminal. What the Japnanese 
Army did was at best the criminal activity of pimps and at worst abduction and 
rape. Either way it's criminal.

<<<Now, my point is,

(1) If VN wants to appeal war crimes, they should point out all the 
crimes by any countries, and accept crime of yourself if another say the 
same thing.>>>

But we are talking Japaneses war crimes here. When we're talking German war 
crimes, why would one talk about French, British and Hebrew war crimes? 
Fairness or distraction?

(2) Or, is there any way whoch everyone can agree with its fairness?>>>

Point (2) sounds as if you think we are after your money. Is this what you
think of the victims of Japanese war crimes? This is adding insult to injury.
I have already stated that I don't think Vietnam should demand a single cent of 
compensation from Japan. What I despise is the attitude `We didn't do it, we 
were not that bad, it was probably myth, it was because of this and that, others 
were bad too, let's not tell the people Japan did', and when anyone says 
anything `They're making trouble, we have paid fairly, they want more money'. 
This attitude is shame on to the people who have them. I only wish to point this 
attitude when it's directed at me. Fairness to me only requires Japan to stop
denying the crimes, making public the information it has, not finding excuses, 
having some respect for the victims. I hope that's not too much.

<<<I hope all the subscribers to pay more and more attention and deep 
interest in the history in East Asia, not only the history of VN.  I 
think 99% person here have highest education and have enough knowledge 
to check by fair position.>>>

Don't assume that the average subscriber pay less attention and interest
to the history od East Asia than you do. Don't assume that the Vietnamese
try to cover up or deny as myth the bad things they did to others.

Huy