Japan, China, Korea scholars stand against rightist textbooks

Scholars and educators from Japan, China, and South Korea on September 27 attended a symposium in opposition to Japanese history textbooks glorifying the Japanese war of aggression against Asian countries.

The event was sponsored by the Asian Network for History Education, Japan, based in Tokyo.

Participants discussed ways to develop a movement to prevent the textbooks written by an admirer of Japan's war of aggression and subsequent colonial rule from being used in schools.

Concerned about the Japanese government turning Japan a militarist country, participants confirmed the need to increase cooperation among East Asian citizens' groups through establishing a network with other organizations dealing with issues of comfort women (wartime sex slaves) and forced labor. They also agreed to focus on the problem of the Japanese media encouraging wars.

The organizer announced that a supplementary textbook on history co-authored by scholars of the three countries would be published in 2005. (end)