On January 26, 1949, the Military Court of the Republic of China government made a shocking verdict against Japanese war criminal Ninji Okamura, acquitting him. This decision caused a huge shock in the political and social environment of the time, becoming a controversial historical event.
After the verdict was announced, there was an uproar in the courtroom. The reporters were also taken aback, they did not expect such a bizarre verdict. It is unbelievable that Ninji Okamura, a Japanese war criminal involved in countless Chinese blood, was acquitted.
Some journalists immediately rushed to the trial court to demand an explanation of the verdict. However, they were brutally suppressed by the police, which is shocking. The angry protest reflected strong dissatisfaction with this ridiculous verdict and their thirst for justice.
At the same time, Okamura Ninji wiped his handkerchief without care, ignored the confusion in the courtroom, and swaggered out of the courthouse and returned to his residence. This calmness is seriously inconsistent with the verdict, which has aroused people's anger even more.
The news of Okamura's release sparked a wave of anger across the country. Every Chinese was angry and distressed when they heard the news, and they were angry at Okamura Ninji's release, and they wanted to crush his corpse into pieces.
Chairman Mao was in Xibaipo, and when he learned the news, he gaffed and angrily slapped it on the table.
A heinous war criminal
Okamura Ninji, a Japanese war criminal born in 1884, committed crimes with a chilling depth. His life experiences and actions reveal the nature of his crimes and the dark role he played in Japan's invasion of China.
Okamura Ninji was actively involved in World War I and the Battle of Sakhalin, cultivating his military spirit. However, his crimes began in 1914 and lasted until the outbreak of the "918 Incident" in 1931, a total of 17 years. During this period, he was active in China and fully prepared for Japan's invasion of China.
Okamura Ninji was not only involved in China's warlord civil war, but also destroyed China's economy. He helped Japanese businessmen steal Chinese goods and illegally plunder resources, while suppressing anti-Japanese sentiment in China through public opinion manipulation.
In 1932, he was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the Kwantung Army, and under the guise of "eliminating bandits", he carried out a large-scale hunt and killing of anti-Japanese armed forces and anti-Japanese activists.
During the Japanese invasion of China, Okamura Ningji formulated the notorious "Three Lights Policy": kill, burn, and rob. This policy has led to the brutal killing and innocent deaths of millions of Chinese compatriots, which has become a dark chapter in Chinese history.
During the North China War, Okamura organized hundreds of mass killings, one of which occurred in mid-1941. In the name of annihilating the Chinese army, he gathered tens of thousands of Japanese troops, causing a massacre that caused more than 100,000 Chinese casualties.
According to statistics, during his tenure as commander-in-chief of the Japanese army in North China, Okamura killed more than 2.7 million Chinese civilians. If you include the Kuomintang army and the Eighth Route Army, it is estimated that the death toll exceeds three million! Although the Nanjing Massacre is shocking, Okamura Ninji's crimes are comparable to ten Nanjing Massacres!
Chinese a thorn in the heart
Okamura Ninji's atrocities deeply stung Chinese's heart, and he became a demon in Chinese history. In Japan, however, he was honored as a "loyal general" and received the highest honor.
With Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor and the difficult situation in the war in China, Japan surrendered to the Allies on August 15, 1945. Subsequently, on September 9, 1945, Japan signed the instrument of surrender in Nanjing, of which Okamura Ninji was one of the representatives.
It is shocking that Okamura Ninji, as a war criminal in Chinese history, was at large under the protection of the Nationalist government. The actions of the national government are not only angry, but also betrayal of the Chinese people.
After Japan's surrender in 1945, most of the war criminals were brought to trial by the International Military Tribunal in Tokyo. However, Okamura Ninji did not travel to Tokyo, but was left in Nanjing to await trial. This made many people look forward to his trial.
However, Okamura Ninji was appointed by the Nationalist government in Nanjing as an official in charge of the repatriation of Japanese troops. The Nationalist government's claim that he was the only one capable of pacifying Japanese prisoners of war was bizarre.
The Nationalist government claimed to personally sentence Okamura Ninji, but only verbal promises and never took actual action. Under the pretext that Okamura Ninji was dealing with the aftermath of the Japanese army in China, they repeatedly refused to bring him to Tokyo for trial.
Senior officials of the Nationalist government, Ying Chin and Chen Cheng, supported Okamura Ninji's immunity from trial. The high status of these two officials provided Okamura with strong protection and impunity.
The Nationalist government extended Okamura's term of office and continued to shield him. The international community was shocked and dissatisfied, but the Nationalist Government did not waver in its patronage of Okamura Ninji.
In the end, the Nationalist government conducted a so-called "interrogation" of Okamura Ninji in Shanghai, but this interrogation was considered an absurd performance and could not match his crimes.
The Nationalist government acted infuriatingly, not only failing to get Okamura Ninji the punishment he deserved, but also allowing him to serve as a military adviser in the Liberation War. This history is the pain of the Chinese people, and it is also the betrayal of the country and the people by the national government.
The National Government shields criminals
When Okamura Ninji appeared in court, he sat in a chair with a cup of hot water next to him, a treatment that was unprecedented in court at the time. People and journalists alike are baffled that none of the defendants would receive such special treatment in court. This was apparently carefully arranged by Chiang Kai-shek, hinting at his special care for Okamura Ninji.
During the review, Okamura Ninji always acted unconcerned, quibbling and shirking responsibility, as if he were innocent. This attitude infuriated everyone present, but the prosecution lawyer firmly did not allow him to make up nonsense. The prosecution presented evidence of Okamura's crime, which was so conclusive that he could no longer deny it.
During the trial, the Ministry of National Government sent a telephone call to inform the Tribunal of the suspension of the trial, which was alarming. Cases that could have been convicted with just one kick at the door have been postponed indefinitely. This delay is puzzling.
The Nationalist government played up Okamura Ninji's crime as a question of "being an officer and not being able to restrain his subordinates" without mentioning his heinous crimes. The final result of the trial was that Okamura Ninji was acquitted.
Chiang Kai-shek ignored the general national righteousness and the humiliation of the people and went unpunished for Japanese war criminals. Chairman Mao repeatedly asked the Nationalist Government to arrest Okamura Ninji, but the Nationalist Government ignored it
Ninji Okamura, who escaped trial
Eventually, Okamura returned safely to Japan under the cover of the Nationalist government. It is infuriating that this demon, who has been killing in China, should go unpunished so easily.
Chiang Kai-shek's selfish interests made him ignore the blood and sea of the Chinese people, go against the will of the people, and he will always be nailed to the pillar of shame.
As the reporter in the courtroom shouted, every day, every day. This history must be remembered so that we can cherish and defend the dignity of our country.