Japanese camp for US POWs to be preserved in NE China
( 2003-10-08 20:59) (Xinhua)
A prisoner-of-war (POW) camp used by Japanese invaders during World War II in
Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, is to be protected as
a historical site, local authorities said.
The camp was established by the Japanese army to keep POWs from the allied
forces captured in the Pacific theater during World War II, most of whom were
from the United States.
About 1,500 prisoners were held in the camp from November 1942 to August
1945. Records show that more than 40 percent of the prisoners died in the camp
during the three years.
Survivors were repatriated after Japan surrendered.
Local government departments in charge of cultural relics and land resources
made the decision at the end of September and the protection project will be
launched later this month.
The POW camp, located in the Dadong district of Shenyang, was once used by a
local machinery factory, but most parts of the camp retain their original
appearance.
The camp is one of the few existing sites in Shenyang testifying to Japanese
war crimes, so historians believe it is of great significance to preserve the
camp.
The site will also be open to the public.
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