Massacre and Atrocities in
2007-04-R4
(Copyrighted
2007
by Don M. Tow)
Hong Kong was a British colony before and after WWII,
but from 12/25/1941 to 8/15/1945 when
Although what happened in Hong Kong during this period
pales in comparison to what happened during the
1937-38 Nanking Massacre,
a great deal of massacre and atrocities were committed by the Japanese
soldiers against the Chinese, British, Canadians, and other people living in
Hong Kong at that time.
As many as 10,000 women were raped in the first few
days.
Tens of thousands, including women and children, were
killed.
Many more starved to death.
Many parts of Hong Kong were ransacked and
burned, and many residents left, deported, or escaped to even
famine/disease-ridden areas of mainland
The atrocities were not just against the Chinese, but
also British, Canadians, and people of other nationalities.
For
example, at a hospital for injured British soldiers, the Japanese soldiers
slaughtered 170 recuperating soldiers and a few hospital staff.
The eyes, ears, noses, tongues, or limbs were
cut off on many victims.
Seventy of the soldiers were killed with swords
while they were lying in bed.
The hospital’s seven nurses were raped,
sometimes while lying on top of the bodies of murdered British soldiers.
Several of the nurses were also slaughtered,
and one of them almost had her head severed.
All these actions were in complete violation of
the 1864 Geneva Red Cross Agreement (which was the beginning of the
establishment of the International Red Cross) regarding the treatment of
prisoners-of-war.
After 18 days of fighting and bombing and the British
surrendered on 12/25/1941, many people came out of hiding in the bomb
shelters.
Upon seeing many mean-looking Japanese solders with
guns pointing at them, some ran either out of fear or not being able to
understand the Japanese command to stop, they were shot dead on the spot.
Some children cried and before the parents
could stop their crying, the children were shot and killed.
Some of the atrocities even continued after
Many innocent people were also killed due to arbitrary
and unjustly enforcement of curfews and other rules.
For example, one time an eight-year old son,
upon seeing his mother and a younger sibling coming home, ran across the
street to meet them.
All three were shot and killed due to a curfew
forbidding crossing of that street.
Often the rules were purposely left ambiguous
or not well publicized, so that the Japanese soldiers could impose severe
punishments, including killing, upon the violators.
While facing this reign of terror, many people also
performed heroic acts.
For example, in a hotel at
Instead of learning from history to avoid repeating
this kind of massacre and atrocities, unfortunately the Japanese government
is in denial of their existence.
They publicly proclaim that these events were
fabricated in spite of so many eyewitness accounts, and they have been
rewriting history in their school textbooks.
Their senior government leaders also pay
regular homage to the Japanese shrine where many of the war criminals were
buried.
It is important for peace-loving people of the world to remember the
following quotes:
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