By Kinue Tokudome

Originally written in Japanese for Ronza (Dec. 5, 1998)

       "The Rape of Nanking is no longer a forgotten Holocaust," Ms.
Iris Chang, the author of Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World
War II, declared in front of almost six hundred people who gathered from
cities across North America and Asia.  It was at the banquet on the first night of a
three day biennial conference of "Global Alliance for Preserving the History
of World War II in Asia" held in Toronto from October 16 to 18.  People responded
enthusiastically to Ms. Chang who had just been featured as the cover
story of Reader's Digest whose global circulation is 28 million.  (15 million
within the U.S.)

       It was the Alliance's third conference following those held in
'94 and '96.  The topics discussed there included "humanity education
regarding WWII atrocities in Asia," "international justice and redress," "Comfort
women," and "Lobbying at US Congress."  In this article I would like to report who
these people (members of the GA) are, what their goals are, how they are
trying to achieve them, who their supporters are, and lastly what their
activities mean for Japan.

       According to Mr. Ignatius Ding, the spokesperson for GA, there
presently are 38 organizations from the U.S., Canada, Taiwan, and Hong Kong
affiliated with GA, and the total membership reaches almost 200,000.  The fact
that both the outgoing president, Dr. Richard Chu (Rochester Institute of
Technology) and the newly elected president Dr. Yue-him Tam (Macalester College) are
professors of history and that most of the affiliated organizations
carry "Preserving the history of Sino-Japanese War," in their name seem to
suggest that the members of GA are highly educated people who take historical
truth very seriously.  Dr. Tam told me, however, that although many in the
leadership of GA are scholars, each organization consisted of people from all
walks of life, including housewives and students.

       One characteristic of these people worth mentioning is the way
they communicate with each other.  Most of the affiliated organizations
have their own web sites on the Internet and use e-mail to quickly disseminate
any relevant information.  I myself have exchanged many e-mail letters with the
members from cities across North America before and after the conference.

       The GA Newsletter, of which Dr. Tam is Chief Editor, states, "The
Global Alliance for Preserving the History of World War II in Asia
(GA) is a non-partisan, non-profit worldwide confederation of grass-roots
organizations for safeguarding the true story of World War II in the Asian Pacific
theater from 1931 to 1945."  In Japan, there exist arguments as to how to
label the last war she fought and when it started.  It is notable that GA
defined the year 1931, when Japanese military force invaded Manchuria, as the
start of the World War II in Asia.

       The statement continues, "It is our firm belief that the proper
closure of that chapter of the world history rests with an unbiased
understanding and courageous acknowledgment of the truth of that war....  We hold that
when the general public of the world know the truth, there will result a
formidable consensus compelling the government of Japan to honor the obligation
due to its past misdeeds.  These are our goals:  Japan shall offer official
apology with fully equitable compensations for the victims and rectify its
distortion and whitewashing of the war history.  Our mission is to bring about this
final closure to ensure the healing of the wounds and a genuine
reconciliation and lasting friendship among all the people.  We undertake this mission
with no other feeling except sympathy and extended arms of friendship for the
people of Japan and of Japanese descent elsewhere, for they also have been
victims of Japan's militarism.  Thus, we cordially invite all people of goodwill
to join this endeavor."  True to the spirit of this statement, the GA
Newsletter is being printed in three languages: English, Chinese and Japanese.

       This year's biggest contribution in terms of educating the
general population was made by Ms. Iris Chang who wrote "The Rape of Nanking."
 It was at the first GA conference held in 1994 where she first saw the
photographs of the victims of the Nanking Massacre that she decided to write a book.
Since its publication in late 1997, her book has been featured on network
Television and in most of the major newspapers in the U.S.  She herself has
traveled over 60 cities in North America speaking about and signing her book.

       These days, Ms. Chang often talks about her hope for
establishing a foundation similar to "The Survivors of the Shoah Foundation," an oral
history project created by Steven Spielberg, so that testimonies of the
victims of the Japanese Imperial Army can also be recorded for posterity.  As for the
Nanking Massacre, the video recording project of survivors has been in
progress by the effort of one affiliate organization.  A finished tape will be
distributed to educational institutions throughout the U.S. as well as to those in the
government.  They are hoping to make a Japanese version of such a testimonial
tape.  The production of a documentary film on the subject which can
be aired for nationwide TV audience is also in progress.

       Each affiliate of GA has been very active in organizing
educational events such as exhibits and symposiums.  Highlights of this year's
activities include exhibition and testimonies featuring Unit 731 and other
atrocities.  It ttraveled five cities: Toronto, New York, Washington, D.C., Vancouver
and SanFrancisco from late June to early July.

       The event was organized by GA and the group of Japanese lawyers
representing the Chinese victims in the Germ Warfare lawsuits against
the Japanese government.  The exhibit comprised of visual documents of
"Unit 731,"so-called "Comfort Women," the Rape of Nanking, and the ruthless
treatment of the POWs.  The original plan included testimonies by former Japanese
soldiers who participated in these war crimes.  However, Mr. Shiro Azuma whose
confession of killing Chinese civilians was described in The Rape of
Nanking and Mr. Yoshio Shinozuka who was a member of Unit 731 could not enter
the United States because the U.S. Justice Department barred them from
entering the U.S. as war criminals.  Only Mr. Takemitsu Ogawa, who was an army
doctor, testified at each exhibit site.  Yet, in San Francisco, more than
8,000 people, including Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi who was critical of China's human
rights policy, visited the exhibit in two weeks.  It was widely reported by
local media and exhibition period was extended until September.

       Mr. Ding has been a community activist in Northern California
for a long time and is now a consultant for the California State Board of
Education.  Text books used in California, where 10 percent of American students learn,
must conform to the California Educational Curriculum Framework and the
Teaching Standard.  Mr. Ding is presently participating in creating new
Standard and the Framework and hoping that the new generation of American youth will
learn not only the history of Japanese war crimes but also the entire history of
Asia so hat they understand Asian culture and values.  He told me that these
days he often received inquiries from textbook companies.  He urged other
members of GA to get involved in education at the local level.  Since many of them are
already active members of their respective communities, their
involvement in
local education has a huge potential for achieving their goals.

       GA has been working hard on the lobbying for HCR 126 (the
Lipinski
Resolution) which calls for the Japanese government to apologize and
compensate
its WWII victims.  The resolution specifies the brutal treatment of
the United
States military and civilian prisoners of war, the brutal occupation
of Guam,
biochemical experiments by Unit 731, the Nanking Massacre, and forcing
hundreds
of thousands of Korean women into sexual slavery as the war crimes Japan
committed.  Although it did not pass in the 105th Congress, it was in
the end
co-sponsored by 78 members of the House of Representatives.

       Other organizations that have been also lobbying for this
resolution are
"The Center for Internee Rights, Inc.," the families of victims of
Unit 731,
and the NGO working on behalf of "Comfort Women."  According to Mr.
Jesse Hwa,
who spearheaded GA's efforts for passing this resolution in the
Congress, a
similar resolution with possible modification, will be introduced as
soon as
the 106th Congress is started early next year.  Although the
resolution is
legally non-binding, it would exert strong pressure for Japan to
fulfill its
WWII obligations.

       In addition, if a hearing is to be held either by the
Subcommittee on
Asia and the Pacific or that on International Operations and Human
Rights, it
would generate huge interest in the U.S. media.

       Not many members of the Subcommittee of Asia and the Pacific
became a
co-sponsor of this resolution probably because they shared the State
Department's political concern over the U.S.-Japan relationship.  That
can
change, however, after Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times Tokyo
bureau chief,
recently wrote in his article for a very influential journal, FOREIGN
AFFAIRS,
that the United States should play an active role in helping Japan
face its
history and that the resulting trust among Japan, China, and Korea
would be in
the America's interests, too.

       At the Subcommittee on International Operation and Human
Rights, many
members, including both Chairman Christopher Smith and Democratic
leader Tom
Lantos, co-sponsored the resolution.  Mr. Hwa said that GA would lobby
for a
hearing to be held by this subcommittee.  Mr. Ding emphasized that
educating
the public on this issue would be more important than actual passage
of the
resolution.

       GA has received a request to study the feasibility of building a
memorial museum in the United States in order to preserve the true
history of
World War II in Asia.  Its affiliates have taken the initiatives to
launch the
feasibility study with various models in mind.  Since the process of
building a
museum can be determined, unlike seeking an apology and compensation
from the
Japanese government, by the efforts of members of GA, and since it can
become a
positive force that will unite all the people who wish to honor the
victims of
World War II in Asia and to preserve the true history of that period,
this
project has a potential to become GA's major goal in the future.

       There were some other organizations represented at the GA's
Toronto
conference.  The Center for Internee Rights, Inc.(CFIR, Inc.)
represents 47,000
former POWs and civilian internees brutalized by Japanese forces
during World
War II.  They have been working with GA in their lobbying efforts for
the
passage of the Lipinski resolution.  In addition, CFIR, Inc., together
with
similar organizations from other Allied nations, filed a lawsuit in
Tokyo
District Court seeking an official apology and the compensation from the
Japanese government.  A decision will be handed down in late November.

       Mr. Gilbert Hair, Executive Director of CFIR, Inc., and his
family were
civilian POWs in Santo Tomas, Philippines from 1942, when he was only
1 year
old, to 1945.  He told me that he, being a victim himself,
wholeheartedly
agreed with the former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Walter Mondale who
said that
Japan's leadership in the world would be strengthened if Japan made a
full
apology for its actions in World War II.

       Mr. Gregory Rodriquez has been working tirelessly for the
release of
documents related to Unit 731 whose victims, including his own father,
were
subjected to gruesome medical experiments.  In the past, he testified
twice
before Congressional Committee regarding Unit 731.  He told me that the
Japanese government should make the relevant documents available and
that he
would like Japanese people to act based on their conscience upon
learning the
truth about these crimes.

       Also at the conference were three so-called "Comfort women,"
traveling
from China, Korea, and Philippines.  Participants were overwhelmed by
their
agonizing testimonies.

       Mr. Etsuro Totsuka, who had been advocating the sexual slavery
victims
by Japan at the UN Commission on Human Rights since 1992, gave three
presentations regarding the issue of compensations.  He was particularly
critical of the response of the Japanese government to the recently
handed-down
UN's McDougall Report whose recommendations included:  (1) The need for
mechanism to ensure criminal prosecutions, (2) The need for mechanism to
provide legal compensation, (3) Adequacy of compensation, and (4)
Reporting
requirements.  He explained why the claim by the Japanese government
that the
issue of compensation was settled by the San Francisco Peace Treaty and
bilateral peace treaties would not withstand.  The right of an
individual to
demand reparations was not waived by those treaties.  Even if the
Japanese
government insisted it was, neither Japan nor China could have
concluded such a
treaty under the IV Geneva Convention which prohibited any agreement
that would
relinquish the right of individual victims.  Both countries are a
party to
Geneva Convention.

       GA actively seeks support from other influential organizations.
Endorsement from the Japanese American community is particularly
important
because of the GA's expressed position that theirs is not an
anti-Japan or
anti-Japanese American activity.  Having won apologies and
compensations from
the U.S. government for their wartime internment, the Japanese American
community is sympathetic to the cause of GA.  Dr. Clifford Uyeda, the
past
president of the Japanese American Citizens League, told at the
opening of the
Unit 731 Exhibit in San Francisco, "Japanese Americans must join in
the voice
of protest from America.  We need to work closely with our fellow
Americans of
Chinese ancestry to make sure that this voice is heard loud and clear in
Japan."

       However, it is the support and advice from Jewish American
organizations, who have a record of many successful campaigns
regarding war
crimes during World War II, that GA is most enthusiastically
welcoming.  After
Mr. Liang Su-Yung, the former President of the Parliament of Taiwan,
gave the
keynote speech on the first night of the conference, Rabbi Abraham
Cooper,
Associate Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, was the keynote speaker
for the
second night.

       Rabbi Cooper is the person who protested after Japanese
Ambassador
Kunihiko Saito criticized that The Rape of Nanking was inaccurate and
one-sided
but failed to give any specific examples.  He also convened an
international
video conference linking Tokyo and Los Angeles so that the former
Japanese
soldiers who had been barred from entering the U.S. could give
testimonies on
their war crimes.  Participants of the historic conference held on
August 16 at
Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance included historian Mr. Akira
Fujiwara,
"Unit 731" specialist Mr. Keiichi Tsuneishi, journalist Ms. Rumiko
Nishino (all
from Tokyo), Professor Yue-him Tam, Dr. Kevin Chiang who was educated in
Japan, "Unit 731" specialist Dr. Sheldon Harris and the former LA
Times Beijing
Bureau chief Mr. Michael Parks (all from LA).  Moderated by Rabbi
Cooper, the
conference was covered by CNN as well as aired on the Internet.

       Rabbi Cooper received a standing ovation when he told the
participants
of the Toronto conference, "I was at the Oval Office of the White
House last
week, where President Clinton signed legislation which will enable
scholars to
have access to more than million additional documents regarding Nazi
Germany.
I would like to see a similar legislation passed for documents
regarding the
Pacific theater of World War II."  The Wiesenthal Center has been a
champion
for bringing justice to the victims of the Holocaust.  Its lobbying
efforts
have been taking place not only at the U.S. Congress but also on the
international scenes as in the case of the abolishing the statute of
limitations on Nazi war criminals in Germany and of the recent
campaign for
restitution of Jewish financial assets held by Swiss banks.

       Rabbi Cooper explained the Center's position with respect to GA's
activities.  "Our Center is not supporting any particular activity of
any
particular organization.  Rather, we are supporting the goal of trying
to build
a coalition of people who help get history told."  Accordingly, he
emphasized
in his speech the importance of GA working together with like-minded
Japanese
people.

       There are people in Japan who allege that GA is a part of a large
conspiracy being waged against Japan by the Beijing government involving
Chinese Americans, Korean Americans, Jewish Americans, and some
Japanese.  When
I mentioned this allegation, Mr. Ding, who was educated in Taiwan
before coming
to the U.S. and becoming a computer engineer, dismissed the notion by
telling
me, "Our founding chairman went to Nanjing to have a memorial service
for the
victims of the massacre.  When his group went around the city
announcing the
event they were arrested by the authority and thrown out of the
country."  As
far as he remembered, activities of GA were never reported in China.

       Mr. Ding told me that he was more concerned about the hatred
toward Japan expressed in fax letters and e-mails he received from young
people in China.  He had to explain to them that his organization was not based
on ill feeling toward Japan but a genuine desire for a reconciliation and
lasting friendship.

       The members of GA are indeed a diverse group of people.  For
example, Dr. Tam was educated in Hong Kong and in Japan before receiving his
Ph.D. from Princeton University, and Ms. Iris Chang was born in the U.S. to Chinese
parents who were both professors at the University of Illinois.  It is
the desire to preserve the true history of World War II in Asia that
brings all these people together.  On the occasion of the recent visit to Japan by
President Jiang Zemin, GA sent a letter to him urging that the Chinese
government should demand from the Japanese government an unequivocal and
sincere apology endorsed by Japan's Diet and meaningful and equitable
compensation for the war victims.

       Rabbi Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a human rights
organization once honored Dalai Lama, told me, "If people want to call our activity
'a conspiracy,' I would suggest that they call it "a conspiracy to seek the
truth.'"

       Some Japanese reacted angrily to GA's activities asking why
only Japan was criticized for the crimes she committed a long time ago.  But when
many nations across the globe are taking stock of the past misdeeds as we
approach the end of the 20th century, the century of wars, GA's activity is
hardly considered unique.

       In March, the Vatican issued a historic statement entitled, "We
Remember:  A Reflection on the Shoah" expressing its regrets for the
"errors and failures" of Catholics during the Holocaust.  Although there was a
disappointment among Jewish people that the Vatican did not assign any
blame to the church as an institution, the willingness to face its wartime
record was widely praised.

       Swiss banks, whose handling of Holocaust victims' accounts
recently came under international outcry, have agreed to pay 1.25 billion dollars to
survivors.  The German government under the newly elected Chancellor
Schroeder pledged that it would consider compensations for "forgotten victims"
of the Holocaust such as Gypsies and gays who had not been covered by current
law.

       South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission recently
released its final report on human rights abuses during its Apartheid era.  The
arrest of Chile's General Pinochet in London is yet another example of the
manifestation of people's desire to seek historical truth and justice.

       In the United States, under President Clinton's order, the
so-called Eizenstat Commission was established in October of 1996 to examine
U.S. and Allied efforts to recover and restore gold and other assets stolen or
hidden by Germany during World War II.  After 18 months of investigation and
declassifying almost a million pages of documents, the Commission
released its final report this past June.  It revealed that European neutral
countries during World War II, such as Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden,
helped to sustain the Nazi war efforts by supplying the key materials.  It
also showed that the post war negotiations among Allied nations failed to meet their
original goals of restitution of looted gold.

       Mr. Stuart Eizenstat, Under Secretary of State, explained, "This
historical report represents a search for facts, a quest for
understanding and an effort to set the record straight.  It seeks neither to defend, nor
to offend any nation.  The countries mentioned in our report are our
friends and allies today, and we value their relationships.  It seeks to clarify
so we can move forward, not to sensationalize so as to assign blame."

       Rabbi Cooper told me that he would like to propose that the
Japanese government establish an Eizenstat Commission type committee consisted of
historians from Japan, China, Korea, the U.S., and Russia.  He is
hopeful that the bipartisan group recently created by 96 Diet members to seek
historical truth may lead to a creation of such a committee.

       Dr.  Michael Berenbaum who wrote the story line for the permanent
exhibit of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum told me that
the only request he had received from the German government was that the whole
truth be told including what post-war Germany had been doing.  Can Japan say
the same thing today?  That is the question we Japanese have to ask ourselves
upon learning what GA is trying to do.

Postscript:

       In response to Rabbi Cooper's inquiry, Mr. Eli Rosenbaum,
Director of Special Investigation of the Justice Department, confirmed in a letter
dated November 3 that all former members of Unit 731 of the Japanese
Imperial Army, as well as all Japanese military and civilian personnel who were
involved in Axis-sponsored acts of persecution, including those individuals who
participated in the atrocities at Nanjing and in the operation or
utilization of so-called "comfort stations," were ineligible to enter the United
States. Mr. Rosenbaum also wrote that despite U.S.  Government entreaties over
the years, the Government of Japan had failed to grant his office
meaningful access to related records.  The Wiesenthal Center plans to lobby Tokyo to
swiftly provide this information to Washington on a confidential basis.
_________________________________________________________