Excavation and Research on the Site of the Jiangdongmen Mass Grave of the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders

Author: Zhu Chengshan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: To commemorate the victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese invaders during the invasion of China, the Nanjing Municipal People's Government decided to build a memorial hall at the site of the "Mass Grave" of victims in Jiangdongmen. During the construction of the memorial hall in 1984, a large number of remains were unearthed. Due to limited conditions at the time, they could not be displayed in situ as originally intended, and only some remains were moved indoors for display. Over the years, right-wing Japanese individuals have repeatedly attacked and slandered this matter, claiming that these remains are a fabrication by the Chinese side and not the remains from that period. From 1998 to 1999, the memorial hall excavated and unearthed 208 more victims' remains at the same site. These remains were scientifically examined, technologically identified, and chemically analyzed by archaeologists, historians, forensic experts, and medical professionals from different perspectives, confirming that these remains belonged to those killed by the Japanese army at that time. In particular, observations and investigations at the burial site revealed that the remains were densely buried, overlapping and intermingled, with no order among men, women, and children. The remains were twisted and deformed, with separated skulls and dislocated positions, and showed traces of stab wounds from swords and firearms. All these conditions proved that the deaths were not natural. The atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders in Nanjing were internationally recognized facts. As early as November 4, 1948, the Far Eastern International Military Tribunal in Tokyo issued a judgment, stating: "More than 200,000 civilians and prisoners were killed in Nanjing and its vicinity. This estimate is not exaggerated, as the burial teams and other groups buried 155,000 bodies, which can be proven. This figure does not include those who were burned by the Japanese army and thrown into the Yangtze River or disposed of in other ways." Their crimes of rape, robbery, and arson were also well-documented. However, after the war, especially since the 1970s, conservative forces in the Japanese right-wing political circles have repeatedly put forward revisionist statements or engaged in revisionist activities. They not only deny the Nanjing Massacre, calling it a "fabrication" by the Chinese side, but also further deny the aggression war launched by Japanese militarists. In recent years, the "Historical Research Committee" of Japan, based on the records of lectures and Q&A sessions organized by the committee, compiled a book titled "A Summary of the Greater East Asia War," systematically reflecting the various erroneous views of the Japanese right-wing in their attempt to distort history and glorify the war of aggression. Recently, due to the issue of history textbooks, the political haze has escalated further, further demonstrating the severity of Japan's political shift to the right since the late 1990s. All this inevitably raises serious concerns for the people of Asian countries, who have suffered countless disasters at the hands of Japanese militarism. The Chinese people have always been peace-loving and thus do not cling to historical issues, but correctly handling history is the political foundation for the development of friendly relations between China and Japan. Whether or not Japan acknowledges the profound suffering caused by its invasion of China is a major principle. Today, Sino-Japanese relations are facing a severe test. We do not expect or hope that the Japanese right-wing and conservative forces will change their historical views or admit their mistakes, but we should expose the aggressive atrocities of Japanese militarism to the Japanese people who are unaware of the historical truth or have been misled by the right-wing, especially the younger generation, so that they can bravely face the historical reality, learn from history, adhere to the path of peaceful development, and gain the trust of the people of Asian countries. This is also the original intention behind the excavation and display of the remains of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre by the Japanese invaders at the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing.