Massacre, what massacre?

When you think of the many and various disputes between China and Japan, few come to mind as readily as the infamous "Sino-Japanese Text Book Dispute": In brief, a dispute revolving around a school textbook, known as the "New History Textbook", printed by "the Japanese Society for History Textbook Reform", which Beijing claims plays down Japanese war crimes committed against China. However, it would appear that somebody might have outdone the "JSHTR", somebody...... Chinese.

According to reports attributed to the United Evening News, Taipei is now authenticating a school textbook that goes one step further than the "New History Textbook". Instead of playing down Japan's worst atrocities, it excludes them all together.

As an example, the new textbook is said to cover the War of Resistance Against Japan without also covering the Nanjing Massacre; in which between 100,000 and 350,000 Chinese are thought to have been murdered or otherwise unlawfully killed through disease, malnutrition, and abuse resulting from the occupation of the city.

According to Professor Tai Pao-tsun, of the History Department of National Central University, who officiated on the textbook committee events were softened or excluded in order to "Avoid disputes".

If validated, the book's publication and use could have serious implications for China and Taiwan's long term relations. China has already accused Taiwan of using Taiwanese-Japanese history as a political tool, both in an effort to draw distinctions between Taiwan and the Mainland (primarily by highlighting the different histories and attitudes to histories between the two sibling states), and in efforts draw Japan in between Taiwan and the Mainland "like a wedge".

Number Game

The official "Beijing figure" list casualties at 300,000. Though estimates ranging from 200,000 to 400,000 have been proposed by Chinese historians.

In surrendering unconditionally, Japan renounced the rights to maintain its own figures, and instead abide by the findings of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. The New History Textbook is notable in that excludes figures, and instead uses "Many" and other similar non-committal terms in their place.

Internationally estimates vary, with 150,000 - 250,000 being a "convenient figure". Though estimates as low as 40,000 - 80,000 have been made.

Some of these difference are due to the way in which casualties are calculate, with differing factors including Nanjing's population before and after the massacre, the number of refugees drawn to the city V the number of residents expelled from the city, and the area of in which casualties are drawn from which is calculated in three different way.

1) Casualties in Nanjing proper
2) Casualties in Nanjing proper + outlying suburban areas (Nanjing + 31km2 of habitation)
3) Casualties for Nanjing proper  outlying suburbs + outlying counties (Nanjing Special Municipality)

The presence of nationalist/communist guerrilla (today, known as enemy combatants) also means that there is an ongoing disputes as to the ratio of civilian-military casualties .

Time, variations in accounts/records and international disputes mean that it unlikely that the exact number of victims will ever be universally agreed upon.

Abject Humiliation

At present, the disputed Japanese textbook has a humiliatingly low market share of only 0.03% even though it is provided free of charge, and is available in 4 language. It is not used in state schools, and the Japanese teachers union has not validated it as an educational tool.

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit