Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia
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Global Alliance For Preserving the History of WWII in Asia is a non-profit, non-partisan federation of over 40 grassroots organizations dedicated to the remembrance, redress and reconciliation concerning
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
, also known as the
Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
. It is concerned about crimes committed by the
Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
and issues related to them such as the
Nanjing Massacre The Nanjing Massacre (, ja, 南京大虐殺, Nankin Daigyakusatsu) or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the Ba ...
,
Unit 731 , short for Manshu Detachment 731 and also known as the Kamo Detachment and Ishii Unit, was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that engaged in lethal human experimentatio ...
,
Comfort women Comfort women or comfort girls were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese '' ia ...
,
Prisoners of War A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held Captivity, captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold priso ...
and
Forced Labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...
. It aims to bring together such groups electronically, organizationally, and personally. This federation has become increasingly recognized as the leading organization safeguarding humanity and international justice with relation to
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
in Asia and the Pacific and its aftermath. It is also the first organization of its kind since previous similar groups were only focused on one or some aspects of the war.


Mission and goals

Global Alliance's mission focuses on bringing about the proper closure of unresolved issues arising from Japan’s aggression that led to World War II in Asia and the Pacific. It seeks justice for victims through punishment of those criminals that were either never put on trial or set free without fulfilling their sentence. Furthermore, it asks war reparations to be given to such victims that have been neglected for over five decades. Besides reparation and redress, members of Global Alliance seek to preserve and disseminate the true story of the war. Revisionist theories have focused on the denial of such massacres as the
Rape of Nanjing The Nanjing Massacre (, ja, 南京大虐殺, Nankin Daigyakusatsu) or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the ...
, and the actual events that took place during the war are largely unknown in
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
and the West. To address this issue, the organization has worked towards building a memorial museum in the U.S. similar to the
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hi ...
to preserve the truth of atrocities during World War II. Finally, Global Alliance advocates expanded coverage of World War II history in the public school textbooks, and has promoted the inclusion of material on the Asian experience of the war. Prevalent focus has been given to the European experience, which was not the only region suffering large losses during the war.


Beliefs

The federation believes that historical truth will bring about justice for victims and safeguard humanity from repeating the mistakes of the past. The following beliefs summarize Global Alliance's ideology: *A full accounting of the Asia-Pacific War is imperative with relation to the
Japanese Government The Government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and is based on popular sovereignty. The Government runs under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947. It is a unitary state, c ...
’s factions that foster collective amnesia and
ultra-nationalism Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its s ...
, justifying and whitewashing
Japanese war crimes The Empire of Japan committed war crimes in many Asian-Pacific countries during the period of Japanese militarism, Japanese imperialism, primarily during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Second Sino-Japanese and Pacific Wars. These incidents have b ...
*
Crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
were committed on a grand scale during this time period *Victims are still seeking justice after nearly 60 years of the war’s end *A nation who forgets the past is condemned to repeat its mistakes *Embrace a feeling of sympathy and friendship with the people of Japan, for they too have been victims of
Japanese militarism refers to the ideology in the Empire of Japan which advocates the belief that militarism should dominate the political and social life of the nation, and the belief that the strength of the military is equal to the strength of a nation. Histo ...
*Transfer
Confucius Confucius ( ; zh, s=, p=Kǒng Fūzǐ, "Master Kǒng"; or commonly zh, s=, p=Kǒngzǐ, labels=no; – ) was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. C ...
Golden Rule to an international scale: Nations shall not do unto other countries what they would not want others do unto themselves


Demands

Based on the premise that the Government of Japan has to honor its post-war responsibilities, Global Alliance demands that through legislation enacted by the
Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...
, the Government of Japan must: *Offer an official and unequivocal apology acknowledging the commission of atrocities in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
, and other Asian states during the Asia-Pacific War *Authorize full disclosure and preservation of documents relating to the mentioned events *Mandate inclusion and teaching at all levels of schooling lessons of humanity learned from Japan’s wars of aggression and its related war crime issues in the first half of the 20th century *Provide just and due compensation to all identified surviving victims and surviving family members of the deceased victims, and victims whose properties were looted and/or destroyed *Amend all statutory limitations under Japanese laws to make them non-applicable to war crimes and
crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...
committed by
Japanese Imperial Forces The Imperial Japanese Armed Forces (IJAF) were the combined military forces of the Japanese Empire. Formed during the Meiji Restoration in 1868,"One can date the 'restoration' of imperial rule from the edict of 3 January 1868." p. 334. they ...
during the Asia-Pacific War such that victims could seek due redress in the courts of Japan *Provide funding for the creation of a memorial museum in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
dedicated to: the commemoration and remembrance of war victims of the Asia-Pacific War, the preservation of documents declassified, research and publication of information pertaining to all facets of the war, educational outreach focusing on lessons learned through war crimes and related issues of this period, and to the efforts to bring closure to this war and to prevent future wars of aggression *Outlaw public denial of war crimes committed by the
Imperial Japanese Army The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
*Prosecute the living Japanese war criminals that have escaped international war crime trials after the end of the war, such as the
International Military Tribunal for the Far East The International Military Tribunal for the Far East (IMTFE), also known as the Tokyo Trial or the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal, was a military trial convened on April 29, 1946 to try leaders of the Empire of Japan for crimes against peace, conven ...
*Remove relics of all war criminals now enshrined in the
Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Empire of Japan, Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, First Sino-Japane ...
and prohibit honoring and worshiping of war criminals in that Shrine or any other religious establishments of national significance *Establish a national day of remembrance for victims of the Asia-Pacific War *Return all looted national treasures, including cultural and historical relics *Honor the " military monetary certificates" issued by the Japanese occupational authorities for which people of victimized countries were forced to exchange their national currencies with due interest payment and adjustment for inflation


Activities

*Link to affiliate websites in order to enhance communication and public education *Espouse the study, research, and dissemination of historical truths regarding World War II *Support exhibits on World War II and exhibits on war crimes committed by the Japanese army *Lobby to promote legislation in the U.S. and elsewhere that will facilitate sue for redress for victims *Organize conferences to call the world’s attention to Japan’s unresolved wartime issues *Support efforts related to the redress movement of the survivors and victims of Japanese Asia-Pacific War atrocities *Coordinate joint projects and activities related to Global Alliance's mission among member organizations *Convene conferences on goal-related and mission-relevant subjects of importance


Member organizations

Global Alliance is open to institutional membership, while individuals can join as non-voting supporters. *Rape of Nanjing Redress Coalition (RNRC): An Organization founded in the U.S. by
Asian Americans Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of such immigrants). Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous people ...
dedicated to bringing about appropriate and timely redress to victims of the
Rape of Nanjing The Nanjing Massacre (, ja, 南京大虐殺, Nankin Daigyakusatsu) or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the ...
*Alliance to Preserve the History of WWII in Asia - Los Angeles (ALPHA-LA):A group sharing the objective of preserving the history of World War II in Asia through public education. *Association for Preserving Historical Accuracy of Foreign Invasions in China (APHAFIC): An association seeking to preserve the history of foreign invasions of China from the 19th century until the end of World War II. *British Columbia Association for Learning & Preserving the History of WW II in Asia (B.C. ALPHA): Association based in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
with the aim of preserving historical records of World War II in Asia and making the Japanese government acknowledge its role in the war. *Hong Kong Reparation Association: Association based in
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
seeking redress for the war crimes and the looting which this city was subjected to under Imperial Japan's occupation. *Global Alliance China Chapter (RNRC): An Organization founded as part of the GA in the Greater China area by overseas
Chinese Americans Chinese Americans are Americans of Han Chinese ancestry. Chinese Americans constitute a subgroup of East Asian Americans which also constitute a subgroup of Asian Americans. Many Chinese Americans along with their ancestors trace lineage from ...
and Asian Americans dedicated to GA's mission to bring about appropriate and timely redress to victims of the
Rape of Nanjing The Nanjing Massacre (, ja, 南京大虐殺, Nankin Daigyakusatsu) or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly romanized as ''Nanking'') was the mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the ...
,
Unit 731 , short for Manshu Detachment 731 and also known as the Kamo Detachment and Ishii Unit, was a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that engaged in lethal human experimentatio ...
Germ Warfare Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and fungi with the intent to kill, harm or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. Bi ...
and "
Comfort women Comfort women or comfort girls were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese '' ia ...
".


Newsletter

A newsletter is published by Global Alliance mostly in
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
but occasionally in trilingual format (
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
,
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
, and Chinese). It aims to enhance communication among the federation's members, to provide a record of all their dedicated work. The newsletter includes activity reports, essays, research results, personal profiles, news clippings and photos, and other documents which are relevant to Global Alliance's cause. It has over 3000 affiliated organizations, schools, libraries, U.S. government and U.N. agencies. There is no subscription fee for this newsletter, and it is supported through donations and volunteerships.


Related events

*In 2000, H.Res 759, a resolution ordering Japan to apologize and compensate victims of war crimes committed during World War II, was proposed to the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
. The resolution included measures for
comfort women Comfort women or comfort girls were women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army in occupied countries and territories before and during World War II. The term "comfort women" is a translation of the Japanese '' ia ...
, women forced into providing sex to the Japanese Army. Congressman
Lane Evans Lane Allen Evans (August 4, 1951 – November 5, 2014) was an American attorney and politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2007, representing the 17th District of Illinois. Ev ...
-
Illinois's 13th congressional district The 13th congressional district of Illinois is currently represented by Democrat Nikki Budzinski. Redistricting 2020 redistricting Following the 2020 census and the subsequent redistricting cycle, the 13th congressional district was signific ...
- submitted the resolution to the
United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, also known as the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is a standing committee of the U.S. House of Representatives with jurisdiction over bills and investigations concerning the foreign affairs o ...
, formerly known as the International Relations Committee, on June 19 for consideration during the 106th Congress in September. This resolution is the second of its kind, following one submitted by Congressman
William Lipinski William Oliver Lipinski (born December 22, 1937) is an American politician and lobbyist who was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2005, representing a district in Chicago. Life and career Pre-congr ...
-
Illinois's 3rd congressional district Illinois's 3rd congressional district includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Marie Newman since January 3, 2021. The district was previously represented by Dan Lipinski from 2005 to 2021, and by Lipinski's father Bi ...
- in July 1997. The resolution was passed on to the International Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, but it was later scrapped when congressmen delayed passing the resolutions, fearing damage to United States relations with Japan. *In 2006, two members of the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
, Representative
Lane Evans Lane Allen Evans (August 4, 1951 – November 5, 2014) was an American attorney and politician who served as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 until 2007, representing the 17th District of Illinois. Ev ...
(D-Illinois) and Representative Chris Smith (R-New Jersey), have introduced a non-binding resolution (H.Res. 759) in the current congressional session which calls on the government of Japan to "formally acknowledge and accept responsibility for its sexual enslavement of young women" during the 1930s and 40s.


References


External links

*http://www.global-alliance.net/ *http://hnn.us/articles/24291.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Asia, Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in History organizations