综合一区欧美国产,99国产麻豆免费精品,九九精品黄色录像,亚洲激情青青草,久久亚洲熟妇熟,中文字幕av在线播放,国产一区二区卡,九九久久国产精品,久久精品视频免费

  Home>News Center>China
       
 

Old soldier does penance for past atrocities
By Jiao Xiaoyang and Huo Yongzhe (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-05-21 06:55

SHANGHAI: "We went toward the Chinese captives bound in ropes, with rifles in our hands, the bayonets shining against the sunset. One Chinese captive faced me with his hands tied behind his back, smiling. ... I, trembling, stabbed him in the chest, and he howled and fell into the tide of the Yangtze River ..."

This is an episode in the autobiography of Honda Tatsutaro, a former Japanese soldier, recounting how Japanese invading troops killed Chinese captives during the War of Resistance Against Japan.


Honda Tatsutaro, a 91-year-old former Japanese soldier who joined the aggression war against China, knelt yesterday on Marco Polo Bridge in southwest Beijing to express his apology for killing a Chinese prisoner of war in August 1939 in Jintan County, East China's Jiangsu Province. [Xinhua]

On Friday the now 91-year-old Tatsutaro arrived in Shanghai and knelt at the city's war memorial in apology and penance for wartime atrocities.

"I must come to China to apologize before it is too late," said Tatsutaro. "I do not want to take my sins into the grave."

After dedicating some lines of poetry to the Chinese war dead on Friday afternoon, Tatsutaro knelt before a wall at the Memorial to the Anti-Japanese War in Shanghai, and prayed.

He then stood up, and turned to face the audience before reading several articles in Japan's constitution that uphold peace.

After that, the repentant Tatsutaro criticized the Japanese Government led by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

"The constitution forbids waging wars, and it's been so many years of peace," said Tatsutaro.

"It is unacceptable that Koizumi attempts to change the constitution on the excuse of self defence," he said.

"I will defend the constitution with my life."

Lasting three months in late 1937, the war was fought in a suburb of Shanghai. Involving about 1 million soldiers, it was the first major combat between China and Japan during the war.

Tatsutaro joined troops stationed near Nanjing, China's capital at that time. Japanese troops massacred more than 300,000 locals after conquering the city in 1937.

"He is 91, and nobody forced him to come," said Xu Qin, a staff member at the memorial who accompanied Tatsutaro during his visit.

"We would forgive him even if he did not kneel down, and his behaviour here is evidence of his apology," said Xu.

"I was supporting him by the hand all the way. His hand was warm and I think I can understand his heart," Xu added.

(China Daily 05/21/2005 page2)



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Export textile tariffs rocket to 400 per cent

 

   
 

Mainland offers tourism good-will for Taiwan

 

   
 

44 remain missing in Hebei coal mine blast

 

   
 

Sacked soccer coach wins wide support

 

   
 

Old soldier does penance for past atrocities

 

   
 

Bush pledges probe into Saddam pictures

 

   
  CAAC approves first private airline
   
  China saw crude oil output grow in 1st quarter
   
  Glacier on Tibet-Qinghai Plateau melting at fast pace
   
  Ireland to open investment office in China
   
  South China factories short of workers
   
  China to raise export tariffs on 74 textile goods
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
南丰县| 岑巩县| 始兴县| 吴江市| 马山县| 临高县| 朝阳市| 嘉善县| 鄱阳县| 长宁区| 新河县| 堆龙德庆县| 六安市| 乾安县| 横山县| 尤溪县| 曲靖市| 泽州县| 璧山县| 兰西县| 贵州省| 高阳县| 大安市| 苍梧县| 朝阳区| 建昌县| 安徽省| 宜宾市| 德令哈市| 无极县| 台安县| 龙海市| 泰顺县| 屏南县| 辽阳市| 玛沁县| 汤原县| 南川市| 佛教| 卫辉市| 甘德县|