Far East Tribunal: Justice Delayed

Author: Wu Yuan, Chen Weide
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: It marks an end—the struggle against Japanese fascism, including the Chinese people, finally achieved victory; it also marks a new beginning—the trial of war criminals who instigated an unjust war finally began. Details Witness History: Anti-Japanese War, The Far East Trial, focuses on the three-year-long trial of Japanese war criminals by the Far East Military Tribunal as its main thread. Through 32 scenes, it comprehensively recreates the entire process of the Far East Trial, fully demonstrating that it was a victory of the people and a victory of justice. However, like sunlight always accompanied by shadows, the Far East Trial, while clarifying the facts of the war and condemning the war crimes of the Japanese, was inevitably influenced by political factors, especially the impending Cold War. Unjustifiable omissions included the failure to hold Emperor Hirohito accountable for war crimes, the fact that the head of Unit 731 was not tried as a war criminal, and so on—“the regrets of justice.” When reading about how the Chinese Civil War loomed large, the Nationalist government was willing to sacrifice China’s national interests to gain an advantage in the war, it was hard not to sigh in frustration. Today, when people face the resurgence of Japanese militarism, it is particularly worthwhile to reflect on this history.