Withdraw order to distort history in textbooks!

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

   On June 23, many Okinawans were emotive as they marked the 62nd anniversary of the end of the major fighting in the Battle of Okinawa at the close of World War II because the Education Ministry recently ordered to high school textbook authors to delete the account that “the Japanese military had forced civilians to commit mass suicide during the Battle of Okinawa.”

   The revision order has caused protests from 37 out of 42 Okinawa local assemblies, including the prefectural assembly. They are demanding that the ministry rescind its order. The protest is growing predecture-wide.

   The Okinawa Prefectural Assembly’s unanimous resolution states, “It is indisputable that ‘mass suicide’ could not have happened without the Japanese military’s involvement.” Clearly, altering this part of history in the textbooks is tantamount to falsifying history.

   When the war was coming to a close, the Imperial Japanese government and military used Okinawa as a ‘sacrificed stone’ to defend mainland Japan and mobilized all Okinawa residents for war. When a U.S. occupation of Japan became an inevitability, the military killed Okinawans or forced them to kill themselves with the aim of preventing residents from surrendering to U.S. forces. The fact that the Japanese military delivered hand grenades to residents and forced them to commit suicide is indisputable.

   The Education Ministry bases its order to delete the account of “mass suicide” on a former Japanese military commander testifying that he personally had never ordered residents to kill themselves. How absurd it is to hush up historical facts based on such a partial testimony!

   Education Minister Ibuki Bunmei is trying to disclaim responsibility by saying, “I’m not in a position to comment on it” because textbooks are approved by the Textbook Review Council.

   However, the Education Minister endorsed the council’s decision to approve the textbooks. He has obligation to immediately respond to Okinawans’ call for the revocation of the order to revise the textbook accounts.

Abe government wants Japan to take part in wars abroad

   To many Okinawans, coercing textbook authors to delete the accounts on mass suicide is a reminder of a possible revival of suppression by the military forcing the public to give their lives to the country as a “patriotic duty”.

   In fact, the Abe Cabinet is aiming to turn Japan into a country that “fights wars abroad” by adversely changing Article 9 of the Constitution. Glorifying Japan’s past war of aggression as a “just war,” Prime Minister Abe also insists that “wartime military comfort women” were not coerced into having sex with Japanese soldiers.

   This issue must not be confined into a mater that affects only Okinawa. It is important to prevent historical facts from being deleted or falsified and stop any moves to turn Japan into a country capable of fighting war abroad.

- Akahata, June 25, 2007