A heavy past torments the hearts of Chinese people like a nightmare all the time. It was the dark years before World War II, and there was an "evil army" wreaking havoc in the black soil of the northeast, they were the 731 unit of the Japanese army. For hundreds of millions of Chinese, the three numbers 731 carry too many painful and humiliating memories. To this day, we continue to uncover new clues and new incriminating evidence about this unit, lest we forget this painful history.
Cover of "731 Unit Headquarters Declaration" (from CCTV News)
Recently, the latest incriminating evidence about this "evil army" has been released for the first time, which has aroused great concern from public opinion. This is a file called "Statement of the Headquarters of Unit 731", which was filled out by 52 members of Unit 731 after Japan's defeat on August 15, 1945, and was originally stored in the National Archives of Japan, but was transferred in 2023 and handed over to the Evidence Exhibition Hall of Unit 731 of the Japanese Invasion of China in Harbin for safekeeping and research.
Registration information of "Body Declaration" (from CCTV News)
Although the declaration is only 69 pages, it is like a mirror, reflecting more details about the internal structure of Unit 731. In the past, most of what we knew about this evil force came from the oral histories of the survivors, as well as the few documents that remained sporadically. And this public declaration fills in some of the gaps in our study of this force.
Evidence in the "Body Declaration" about the joint training of young soldiers by Unit 731 and the puppet Manchurian National Harbin Medical University (from CCTV News)
Shockingly, this declaration revealed that there was a movement and transfer of personnel between Unit 731 and Unit 516 of the Japanese Army. We all know that Unit 516 is the chemical warfare base camp of the Japanese Kwantung Army, and Unit 731 is the root cause of the Japanese army's bacteriological warfare. The fact that there were personnel exchanges between the two evil "bases" confirmed that the Japanese army's bacteriological warfare and chemical warfare were closely coordinated in those years.
Evidence in the "Body Declaration" about the joint training of young soldiers by Unit 731 and the puppet Manchurian National Harbin Medical University (from CCTV News)
In the declaration, a member of Unit 731 named Yoshihito Hirakawa confessed that he had served in Unit 516 from January to December 1944 and had been transferred to Unit 731 since January 1945. This is a rare and valuable new discovery, which shows that in order for the Japanese army to more effectively carry out biological and chemical weapons warfare in the war of aggression against China, there is a collusion between the two major fronts.
The picture comes from the Internet
What is even more outrageous is that the declaration also disclosed the close relationship between Unit 731 and the puppet Manchuria National Harbin Medical University. The four people recorded in the declaration documented by Iwamaru Munehiko and others entered Harbin Medical University from Japan as so-called "military students", but during their studies, they were summoned by Unit 731 and received a three-year so-called "medical training".
The picture comes from the Internet
We can imagine what so-called "medical training" actually is, which is undoubtedly synonymous with crimes against humanity such as vivisection and experiments with viral weapons. This is tantamount to Unit 731 colluding with the puppet Manchukuo regime and cultivating a group of "biochemical warfare corpses" on the land of Northeast China. What is even more disturbing is that the disclosure of the declaration is only the tip of the iceberg, and I am afraid that there are more young people like them who were forced to be involved in the biochemical battlefield of the Japanese army.
The picture comes from the Internet
The declaration also disclosed for the first time that there was a position of "intelligence officer" within Unit 731. The duty of these intelligence officers is to guide the implementation of bacteriological warfare in various localities and to reconnoiter the enemy's situation. One of them even spied on the military during the 1941 period in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, when the Japanese army was carrying out large-scale bacteriological warfare crimes in Zhejiang.
The picture comes from the Internet
It is not difficult for us to find out from this that biological and chemical weapons warfare is not the work of a single unit, but is inextricably linked with the regular military operations of the Japanese army. It is precisely with such an intelligence system as the vanguard that Unit 731 can systematically carry out bacteriological weapons war crimes in many battlefields such as Northeast China, North China, and East China.
The picture comes from the Internet
In addition, the declaration records the detailed biographies of 52 members of Unit 731 from enlistment to their final fate, which provides us with very valuable new clues for studying the war responsibilities of these criminals and their future trials. After the end of World War II, 14 of them were detained and sent to the former Soviet Union, while 38 escaped from Unit 731 and hid in the country for a while. But after all, it is impossible to escape the justice of heaven, and these veterans, who are tired of their age, can only return to Japan honestly and fill out these incriminating evidence forms as if they were dancing and flattering their former division commanders.
The picture comes from the Internet
The clues provided in the declaration are nothing less than a breakthrough for us to bring these members of Unit 631 to justice in the future and to show the deep blood feud of the Chinese compatriots. Perhaps one day, we will be able to settle the final account of these people's crimes against humanity.
The picture comes from the Internet
Finally, I have to mention the systematic and large-scale nature of Unit 731's crimes revealed in this declaration. Judging from the data, as a special force of the Japanese army, Unit 731 is strictly organized by six identities, including generals, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and military dependents. This extremely strict division of labor and layers of restraint shows that its crime is by no means a private hooliganism, but an organized and premeditated collective atrocity.
The picture comes from the Internet
One researcher even asserted that Unit 731's biological and chemical weapons warfare crimes "were the result of the integrated operations of Japan's military, academia, government, and medicine, and Unit 731 was a top-down, large-scale, organized group crime." This once again shows how the Japanese political system of that era promoted the operation of the evil machine of Unit 731 layer by layer.
The picture comes from the Internet
Not long ago, we saw from another batch of newly unearthed incriminating evidence of Unit 731 that the staffing of this evil unit also includes "doctors" who specialize in vivisection. It can be seen that from top to bottom, from the front to the shadows, the entire Japanese military and political apparatus is working together to achieve the goal of genocide.
The picture comes from the Internet
In the face of this newly unearthed "Declaration of Unit 731 Headquarters," we cannot help but ask: What was the current situation of these members of Unit 731 back then, and did they pay the price they deserved for their crimes? Unfortunately, this is far from the case. After the end of World War II, most of the members of this force were partially captured, but many more escaped trial and punishment.
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What is heartbreaking is that in order to obtain the "results" of Unit 731's biological and chemical weapons research, the Japanese authorities even made secret deals with these criminals and released most of them as the main culprits. Now, those perpetrators of the year have either died or lived to their old age and enjoy their old age in peace. And the countless crimes and cruel memories they created will forever become an indelible scar in the hearts of the people.
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It is for this reason that the new incriminating documents released this time are particularly important for us to promote justice, uphold human dignity, and defend the concept of peace. It is a reminder that this shameful history must not be forgotten, let alone that those responsible for war crimes should not be brought to justice. Although the reality is cruel, at least this declaration has opened a window for us to gradually become transparent.
The picture comes from the Internet
Through this window, we see more of the inside story of Unit 731 and its crimes of malfeasance. It not only shows us how the Japanese militarist regime manipulated this criminal machine, but also gives us a new opportunity to thoroughly try the remnants of the war criminals in both legal and reasonable terms. After all, the declaration provides us with detailed human and physical evidence, and the evidence is ironclad.
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More importantly, the unearthing of these incriminating evidence can help to draw lessons and strengthen the concept of peace. This dark history of the past, as painful as it may be, will surely serve as a searchlight on the road ahead. It is like a doctor treating a patient with a CT scan that carefully diagnoses the lesion, and we must confront this history of humiliation with a clear and unambiguous stand in order to eradicate the root cause of war and avoid a recurrence of tragedy.
The picture comes from the Internet
It can be said that the release of this new incriminating evidence of Unit 731 is tantamount to sounding the alarm bell for reflection again, calling on people to cherish peace and oppose war. From the perspective of civilized human nature, all life should be equally cherished and respected, and everyone should have the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life. However, in that turbulent era, all this was ruthlessly taken away by the flames of war and completely trampled by criminal humanism.
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Therefore, we remember this humiliating history today and mourn the innocent compatriots who were brutally murdered by Unit 731, not to regain their grievances, but to always remember and cherish the current era of peace. Only by attaching great importance to this newly unearthed unit 731 criminal evidence with the principle of "not forgetting history and remembering the martyrs" can we draw strength and inspiration from them and let the blessings of peace be passed on from generation to generation.
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In this way, while we are indignant, remembering and reflecting, we are also gradually putting the iron-clad fact in front of us: the long-forgotten Unit 731, with the continuous unearthing of batches of new clues and new incriminating evidence, its face and deeds are gradually becoming clear to us. From the newly disclosed declaration to the various incriminating documents found before, the true face of this evil force is being pieced together.
The picture comes from the Internet
Eventually, we will see clearly the existence of this disgrace, the evil it has created and the judgment it has suffered, and we will see clearly what history has taught us. Let us take this evil past seriously with a new perspective, firm conviction and selfless goodwill, eradicate the root cause of war, and maintain human civilization and peace.