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Open Questions to His Excellency Prime Minister Wen
Jiabao
of the People's Republic of China
As we wish China and Japan the best of friendship
and amity, we extend our heartfelt
welcome to Your Excellency's visit to Japan.
We have been conducting research on the Nanking incident, which is
said to have occurred during the war between Japan and China in Nanking in December
1937. Results of our research have caused us to have serious doubts regarding
views of this incident commonly held in your country. Thus, in this matter, we would
appreciate receiving your response to the questions posited below.
1. The late-leader Mao Zedong never mentioned the "Nanking massacre".
His only reference to the Nanking occupation was a personal observation he made
when he stated, "the Japanese forces had many surrounded, but not many
were killed," in his book titled, On Pro fracted War, a summation of his lectures given at Yanan, China six months after the battle occurred in December. If the incident, with
claims of 300,000 citizens massacred, did take place, it must have been like last century's holocaust. Is it not unnatural and strange that Mao Zedong did not say a word about
the incident? How do you account for this fact?
2. In November 1937, just before the siege of Nanking, the Nationalist
Party, organized by the nationalists and communist organizations, created an international propaganda department within its Central Propaganda Office. According to a confidential report titled, "Outline of Operations: the International Propaganda Department,
the Central Propaganda Office", between December 1, 1937 and October 24, 1938
the International Propaganda Department held 300 press conferences in Hankou.
According to records kept at the time, an average of 35 people attended
these press briefings comprised mainly of journalists and officials of foreign embassies. And, in the 300 briefings, no mention was ever made of "citizens being
massacred in Nanking," or "hostages being murdered unlawfully".
What do you think of this fact? If massacres were committed, is it not a mystery as to why they were not mentioned?
3. The activities of an international committee which cared for the
Nanking citizens who congregated in the Nanking Safety Zone were recorded. Under the auspices of the Council of International Affairs of the nationalist government, the
record was published in book form titled Documents of the Nanking Safely Zone by
a publisher in Shanghai in 1939. According to the book, the population of Nanking stood
at 200,000 prior to the Japanese occupation. This population level remained
unchanged during December. Records show the population to be 250,000 one month
after the Japanese occupation of the city began. Then, based on these records,
it would have been impossible for 300,000 people to be massacred. Could you give us
your thoughts about this?
4. In the book Documents of the Nanking Safely Zone, mentioned above,
there is a list of detailed complaints against the Japanese army's criminal activities.
The list includes a total of 26 murder incidents, of which only one case was witnessed
but it was judged to be a lawful killing and thus noted in the book. These records
and your country's claim of 300,000 people massacred are at extreme odds with
one another. What do you think about this?
5. Numerous photographs said to be proof of the Nanking massacre are
being displayed in books and at many exhibitions including the Massacre Memorial Museum
in Nanking. However, it was revealed by scientific studies that there is
not a single authentic photograph offering proof the massacre actually happened.
If your country has photographs which can provide proof, please allow us to see them.
We would like to examine them.
6. Given the above, it appears to us that the Nanking massacre could
not have happened. But if you suspect that it occurred, we would like to ask that you conduct a verification examination in an objective manner with consideration of
materials we will submit to you. In reality though, your country has built the memorial
museum in Nanking, which is promoting the massacre of 300,000 people extensively.
This act is unfair as it undermines history. Also, it amounts to a contradiction,
since your country's official position is promotion of a policy aimed at establishing
friendly relations with Japan Furthermore, as this year marks the 70~ anniversary
of the Nanking incident, various organizations inside your country are said
to have planned movie productions about the Nanking massacre with many now under way.
We perceive these acts as an unbearable humiliation to us who really hope
to be friendly with your country. Could you give us your thoughts about this?
We would like to receive Your Excellency's replies to the above points.
As this is a concern to many Chinese and Japanese alike, we are submitting the questions
in an open forum. As we wish to maintain a strong friendship between China and
Japan for frture generations, we sincerely hope to hear from you.
April 10, 2007
Committee for the Examination of the Facts about Nanking
KASE Hideaki, Chairman
FUJIOKA Nobukatsu, Secretary General
ARA Kenichi
UESUGI Chitoshi
KOBAYASHI Taigan
SUGIHARA Seishiro
TAKAIKE Katsuhiko
TAKAYAMA Masayuki
HIGASHINAKANO Shudo
MIZOGUCHI Ikuo
MIYAZAKI Masahiro
TOMＩZAWA Shigenobu, Auditor
MOTEKI Hiromichi, Auditor |