Asian Studies – Fall 2006
Dr. Christy Story
Analysis of JapanŐs war
crimes:
Talking points DUE: Tuesday,
October 17, 2006
Class Seminar on tribunal:
Tuesday &Wednesday, October 17 & 18, 2006
JapanŐs imperialist agenda led it first to colonize Korea in 1907 after defeating the Russians. They controlled the government, the educational system and KoreaŐs commercial and industrial production. In 1931, the Japanese utilized the Mukden Incident to invade Manchuria (renamed Manchukuo) beginning the Sino-Japanese theatre of \WWII. In Korea, Manchuria and later mainland China, Japanese tactics were ferocious (the best known example from the Sino-Japanese war was the Rape of Nanking). After JapanŐs surrender in 1945, the victorious powers created a tribunal to punish the aggression of Japan and mete out (as the charter for the tribunal stated, see Yale site below for how to find the charter) Ňstern justice to all war criminals, including those who have visited cruelties upon our prisoners.Ó You will research these three areas (Korea, Manchuria, Nanking) of Japanese aggression and examine the tribunalŐs role as international court of justice. What are the human rights at the heart of these cases and what were the Japanese crimes? How do you view the success of the tribunal in addressing these crimes or violations?
You will be researching the history behind JapanŐs imperial drive in Korea, Manchuria and China. There will be a day in the library to assist you with this research: Thursday, October 12, 2006. From your research you need to develop a one- page summary of your Ňtalking pointsÓ for the seminar on JapanŐs guilt. These talking points need to include
Resources:
For a timeline of Japanese armed intervention check out answers.comŐs site:
http://www.answers.com/topic/timeline-of-japanese-overseas-armed-actions
For a good introduction to the
issue of Japanese atrocities during the war check out the BBCŐs site on the Rape
of Nanjing:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/223038.stm
Yale University has put several
international law documents on line.
Check out the charter for the Tokyo Tribunal and see what the crimes it
was investigating were:
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imtfech.htm
For a nice timeline of Korean history, checkout the PBS site:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2000/firstpersonplural/historical/choice.html
For a Chinese biased look at the Sino-Japanese
war and its interpretation of Japanese war crimes, one site has translated several
Chinese documents. This site requires an open mind as it is not only biased it
was created to horrify.
http://www.centurychina.com/wiihist/njmassac/nmintro.htm