The Brutal Holocaust Acknowledgments, Preface, Introduction, Foreword

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book would not have been possible without the many books and articles written by victims, eyewitnesses, historians and researchers into the role of the Japanese Imperial Empire and the brutal crime committed against humanity in total disregard for international law on the convention of war and the treatment of prisoners and innocent civilians.

The Internet has become an indispensable source of articles for this book. I would like to give special thanks to some of them who have graciously given permission to use their articles. The anonymous author of ï¿½The Other Holocaustï¿½ï¿½.ï¿½ have helped me focus on many issues that would otherwise have been missed in my research. Special thanks to Federico Baldassarre for his ï¿½The Sack of Manilaï¿½ and Major Richard Gordon for his article ï¿½Death by Hangingï¿½ of the Battling Bastards of Bataan and others whose articles I have consulted but were not able to get their permission as there are no contact email addresses.

I would like to give thanks to my alma mater, the University of the Philippines for the use of its library and The National Library for giving me a free hand into the archives in my research with their many books in the Filipiniana Section.

Last but not least, I would also like to thank Dr. Ricardo Jose of the UP Department of History for his time and efforts in reading and verifying the accuracy of my manuscript, adding important new materials I may have missed, and writing the INTRODUCTION to the book.

PREFACE

Books on the tragic events in Asia during the Second World War have almost been forgotten by those who have never experienced the brutality and viciousness of the Japanese Imperial Army. Most of the books are no longer available in the country except in the archives of the libraries. Very few books are available concerning the brutality inflicted on the Asian countries until I came across the book, Gold Warriors by Sterling and Peggy Seagrave. The brutality of the Japanese Imperial Army is depicted with all its ignoble, dishonorable, cruel and despicable treatments of their prisoners, civilians that cross their paths and even their own compatriots. This sets me to do more research into what transpired in Asia during the Second World War that claimed more than 30 million lives and touch the lives of more than a hundred million people who live in anguish for the lost of their beloved ones as a result of the brutality of the Japanese.

Many books have been written about isolated experiences of soldiers during the War. There are little historical materials available covering an overall view of the cruelty and brutality of the Japanese Empire. It is for this reason that I decided to write a book that will somehow mitigate the lack of reading materials, especially in this country about the suffering of people in Asia during the Second World War.

Sixty years have elapsed and still the government of Japan refused to sincerely acknowledge and apologize for the horror she had committed to the Asians hoping against hope that time will make people forget the Brutal Holocaust. Instead she turns a blind eye to all who are seeking and crying for justice for the savage treatment inflicted on them and a sincere apology from the Parliament instead of sporadic personal apologies from some of her public officials.

A word of caution: this book is not for everyone because of some of the brutalities depicted in the book. Parents are cautioned to guide their young children reading this book.

INTRODUCTION

The year 2005 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the end of the World War II in Asia and the Pacific. In the Philippines, various commemorations have been held to mark the various historical events of the years 1944-1945, among them key landings and the liberation of towns and cities from Japanese hands. Many of these were given extensive coverage in the media.

Given less attention by the official functions were the many incidents of atrocities which occurred in the last months of the war ï¿½ or the atrocities which had occurred during the years of Japanese occupation. Some private groups did commemorate the deaths of non-combatants in Manila, but this was not graced by top government officials. Ironically, while the survivors of the atrocities remembered their honored dead, other programs were held which propagated Japanese culture in the ill-time Philippines-Japan Festival, even as the statue of a Kamikaze pilot stands resolute against the complaints of many war victims.

The book that Mr. Armando A. Ang has written is laudable in that it brings to the Philippine audience the ugly side of the war in Asia and the Pacific, a side which has often been neglected in recent histories. While the Final Solution towards the Jews in Europe has been well documented and receives much media coverage, the atrocities of the Japanese during the Second World War have not received as much attention. There are, of course, several books on the Rape of Nanking, the Comfort Women, the Bataan Death March and Japanese brutalities against Prisoners of War, few of them have been available in Philippine bookstores. If and when they are available, the prices have kept them from being read by many curious readers. Mr. Ang thus does two things with this book: first, he presents accounts of the Japanese atrocities in a volume that is accessible to Filipinos. Second, he is able to summarize the major incidents and issues and put them together in one volume.

Mr. Ang has made impressive use of many sources of information to write this book, and make this information available to Filipino readers. Mr. Ang does not focus on events that took place only in the Philippines, but includes events which happened elsewhere in Asia and the Pacific, showing that what happened in the Philippines also happened in other countries. By doing so he is able to present a wide vista with which to view World War II and the Japanese occupation. Nor does he focus entirely on events which took place during the war itself. Mr. Ang also discusses the San Francisco Peace Treaty, the textbook scandals and the issue of Emperor Hirohitoï¿½s war guilt. This makes the book very timely especially with the recent textbook row which resulted in serious anti-Japanese rallies in China. We thus are able to understand why the Chinese feel so deeply about unresolved issues from the war.

Other Asians still feel deeply about what the Japanese did during the Second World War. Many Filipinos, on the other hand, have not even raised eyebrows whenever the Japanese prime minister visits Yasukuni Shrine, or when new textbooks which whitewash the war are approved. Some say that the Filipinos have a short historical memory; others say Filipinos are too forgiving ï¿½ or else to forgetful. With this book, Mr. Ang provides readers with a succinct and reliable account of events which must not be forgotten.

Some of the information here is still controversial; some of it but scratches the surface. But the book shows that much has only come out in recent years.

I congratulate Mr. Ang for this important work and hope that many are able to read this book.

Ricardo T. Jose, Ph.D.
Department of History
University of the Philippines

FOREWORD

The Japanese have always considered themselves to be a chosen people by divine providence with a mission to conquer and rule other countries. Jimmu Tenno, the first emperor of Japan, was said to have given the divine command, Hakko Ichiu, to bring the world under its rule. This divine command had been resurrected several times in its long history.

The Second World War ended sixty years ago and many things have changed. Political forces have realigned so much so that enemies have become friends and atrocities have been forgotten to the detriment of those whose justice had not been served. It is hard to imagine how human beings can inflict so much atrocious acts on other humans and yet refused to acknowledge much less compensate for the proper retribution. More so when it is inflicted on a large scale for no other reason except to satisfy its own culture of death. The belief so accepted by Japanese society is that when a soldier left home to join a combat unit, he could only return home as a conqueror or the alternative: death. The Ministry of War in January 1942, actually stated that each man must die if unable to carry out the task assigned to him. This is carried out by most of the soldiers such that at the end of the war, only 6,400 Japanese prisoners surrendered compared to the nearly 200,000 Allied POWs.[1]

The Japanese never expected to have so many prisoners of war on their hand. Additional provisions for food and supplies for the prisoners were not available and were considered additional burden to the Japanese soldiers. The systematic way in which the Japanese inflict on their own down the military hierarchy is just a prelude to how cruelties they can also inflict on the prisoners who are considered subhuman. Torture among the Japanese is accepted as part of their training.

Many attempts have been undertaken to explain the aggressive nature of the Japanese that made them capable of committing so atrocious savagery and outrageous behavior that defy human decency. Japanese soldiers have been known to eat their captured prisoners on Pacific islands even though food was available.[2] Babies have been used for bayonet practice by throwing into the air and piercing them with the bayonet. Women have been raped and frequently mutilated and killed mercilessly.

The militaristic nature of Japanese society, the culture of extreme brutality and fanaticism from the past has impacted the society for centuries. The samurai code of bushido has long been part of their way of life. It is even adapted as part of their educational philosophy. The education system required that children be taught reverence for, and unquestionable loyalty to the emperor and his imperial government. Loyalty to superiors, obedience to authority and patriotism has been taught and practiced early in life fearlessness is a trait to be followed and death is better than bringing dishonor. Samurai were expected to commit suicide instead of being captured.[3] In return that is what they expect their enemies to commit instead of surrendering. This would explain why their treatment of prisoners of war was so brutal.

Early in life, children have been indoctrinated into believing that they are a superior race and that others would eventually serve them, especially the white prisoners of war who would dishonor themselves by surrendering. In short, they are racist and racism is adopted as part of their life. The ancient Shinto religion has been adopted that has long been strongly nationalist and racist in character. With the combination of traditionalist militarism of the samurai warrior that predominate the ruling hierarchy including the emperors and the Shinto religion, the potential for fanaticism and militarism is strong. As a result, the Chinese were originally singled out and considered chancorro or subhuman or vermin and killing them is no big deal. When the war broke out, the other people were also regarded as vermin to be annihilated from the face of the world.[4]

The training of military recruits began with intensive indoctrination in the tenets of bushido and Shintoism. The brutality these recruits underwent continued from the top down to the lowest rank soldiers. This would account for why many camp guards, the lowest ranking military soldiers, were the most brutal people because they have no one to vent their anger from the ill-treatment received from their superiors.[5]

* * *

Today, six decades after the Pacific War, the Asian victim countries of the Japanese atrocities have allowed the unfortunate event to be forgotten except for the few survivors of the holocaust still seeking justice. But the Japanese still will not let the event die down by constantly commemorating the Japanese killed by the atomic bombs dropped by the U.S. As if it is not enough, it has started to distort history and historic textbooks by changing the truth about what transpired during the War and even refusing to face reality by admitting its brutal role in the treatment of humanity. Instead it not only resurrected the convicted war criminals, but even glorified them as national heroes. Read for yourself the truth behind the lies being peddled and judged for yourself.

[1] Scott Murray, ï¿½The Death Railway,ï¿½ www.scottmurray.com/bridge.htm
[2] In his book The Knights of Bushido, Lord Russell of Liverpool cited several instance of cannibalism by Japanese soldiers and officers. One eyewitness saw the Japanese cut flesh from his arms, legs, hips and buttocks and carry them to their quarters where the flesh were fried and later eaten by the officers.
[3]An attempt to explain Japanese war crimes.ï¿½ www.users.bigpond.com/
[4] Ibid
[5] Ibid