Japanese man admits to human vivisection in WW II: report
A former medical officer in Japan’s World War II Navy admitted to conducting vivisection in the Philippines on some 30 prisoners of war, including women and children, a news report said.
It was the first time such testimony had been given on experiments on human beings by a Japanese officer in the Philippines during World War II, Kyodo News reported late Saturday.
Similar experiments were conducted in northern China by the notorious germ warfare Unit 731, which was blamed for the deaths of up to 10,000 Chinese and Allied prisoners of war, the report added.
Akira Makino, 84, a former officer of the medical corps of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s No. 33 patrol unit, said the experiments on live prisoners began in December 1944, shortly after he was assigned to Zamboanga air base in Mindanao.
Makino was ordered to take two local men captured as United States spies to a school which had been turned into a hospital, where they were undressed and tied to an operating table, Kyodo said.
Makino was told by his superior to insert a surgical knife into their bodies after the prisoners’ faces were covered with an ether-soaked cloth so that they became unconscious.
“I thought ‘What a horrible thing I’m doing to innocent people even though I’m ordered to do it’,†Makino told the news agency, after keeping the information secret for six decades.
The experiments, which included amputating arms and legs, suturing blood vessels and abdominal dissections, continued until February 1945, and resulted in the deaths of some 30 persons, including women and children, he said.
“After the experiments, the captives were strangled with a rope to make sure they were dead,†he said, adding their bodies were buried and the deeds kept strictly secret.
“I would have been killed if I had disobeyed the order,†Makino said. “That was the case in those days.â€
US forces landed on the Philippine island in March 1945, sending Japanese soldiers into hiding in the jungle.
Little Japanese testimony about what happened in Southeast Asia during the war has emerged. But the new information should throw light on Japan’s malicious wartime acts, Kyodo said, quoting experts.
Makino has talked about his war experiences to elementary and junior high school students for the past several years without telling them about the human dissections.
He told Kyodo: “I want to tell the truth about the war to as many people as possible. If I’m given the opportunity, I’ll continue to testify in atonement.â€
Thanks sonofmichael. Dmartmar doesn't get my point...d u m b ! The Japs were our enemies before. They were the counterpart of the Nazi in Germany who committed similar atrocities.
Take a look at the 442nd Rigamental Combat Brigade and the 100th Infantry battalion on how I would trust Japanese. And then rent the movie, "Rising Sun" with Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes. You might learn a thing or two, but perhaps not given your lack of intelligence.
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." John Adams on Defense of the boston Massacre
Originally posted by macyuhoo: If we all follow your line of reasoning, then there will never be war criminals or crimes against humanities in the world.
You should read the military culture in Japan during the 1930's and 1940's. It gives credence to dmartmar on "following orders."
A quote from the movie, "Rising Sun": "The Japanese have a saying, "Fix the problem, not the blame." Find out what's ****ed up and fix it. Nobody gets blamed. We're always after who ****ed up. Their way is better." Think about that.
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." John Adams on Defense of the boston Massacre
Originally posted by macyuhoo: Hudson, you yourself is married to a Chinese. You know the atrocities these Japanese committed against China. Remember the "Rape of Nanking".
All incidents, based on Japan's viewpoint, has been addressed with the Treaty of San Francisco and with the Sino-Japan treaty.
BTW, I have taught my wife to look at the individual, not the group. But some people never learn.
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." John Adams on Defense of the boston Massacre
Hudson, a group is composed of individuals; hence, we should look at both, individuals and group. Before you react, let me explain why. The atrocities and crimes committed by countries and other people against another go back long....centuries ago. Even the so called "conquer by religion" was rampant during the early times. We all heard about the great inquisition. The crimes and murders were committed not just by one group or groups, but by individuals who asserted their own selfish agendas...quite often...hatred, idiologies and beliefs.
Why the Japanese, specifically the Japanese Imperial Army, committed such inhuman acts cannot be tolerated until this day. Was or is there a sincere apology? Even if there were some compensation awarded to the victims, this was done more as a token and for political reasons. The Comfort Women abused and raped by the Japanese soldiers has not been fullly resolved until this day. These women were from China, Korea, Philippines and other Asian countries. I hope your wife's grandma or great grandma was not a victim. Tell me, did those Japanese soldiers follow order to rape these women? They did it on their own.
In order to learn from history with the hope that such brutal crimes are not committed again, we must look at groups and individuals. God gave us the freedom of choice, a conscience.
Courtesy of wiki. Need more proof macy? We fought the Germans to the death on 2 world wars, yet now they're one of our allies. England used to be our ruler, yet there's no better ally for USA than em brits. Why can't the same be said about Japan?
Well, I agree with you on that point. To America...and that's what I hate about our foreign policies especially under this stupid Bush administration...There are no permanent friends and enemies, only permanent interest.
Originally posted by macyuhoo: Well, I agree with you on that point. To America...and that's what I hate about our foreign policies especially under this stupid Bush administration...There are no permanent friends and enemies, only permanent interest.
This has been the norm for every nation. China and Russia were bitter enemies during the 1970's, 80's, and early 90's. USSR was an ally during WWII until the "Iron curtain decended upon Europe." French relations have always been an on again, off again for the last 200 years. The last time French relations were this sour was when Charles De Gualle was President of France during the 1950's. After Tien Bien Phu tragedy by the French Foreign legion in French Indo China, that is how the US became involved in the pennisula since WWII and why French relations were so sour. Please, read history books, will ya' before you post something like this again.
PS if you want to blame President Bush or his administration, at least do it with logic and reason, not something that EVERY PRESIDENT HAS DONE SINCE WASHINGTON!
"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." John Adams on Defense of the boston Massacre
Logic? I think I'm more logical than you, Hudson. I blame Bush for all the woes we have today. As if the dumping of Republicans last election has not yet convinced you how majority of Americans hate Bush. You've been spending so much time in bed with your Chinese wife that you don't even use your common sense.
When I mentioned foreign policy or policies, these are the way we treat and deal with other countries. The President who occupies the highest office of the land is partly and even directly responsible for such policies. He can veto any bill that has been passed. But unfortunately, our past presidents including this current one listen more to the vested groups like the big oil firms and the very rich. The American Jews are included because their money and business influence the administration's actions and our lawmakers' decisions. That's why the US has been taking a pro-Israel position ever since.
Yet you're the one who said "we can't trust the Japs" since they were our enemy in World War 2. Even going as far as calling others dumb. Well, carrying the very same logic, we shouldn't trust the Germans, Mexicans, Chinese, Vietnamnese, etc,etc,etc... for something that happened in the past. Sufficed to say your logic is flawed, just like your tendency of spouting nonsense without having fact to back it up. Who's the dumb one now?
So whats exactly your foreign policy will be? How do you make peace with extremist such as Hezbollah & HAMAS? By all means, do share your solution instead of just spouting garbages all the time. Or perhaps you simply lack the intelligence level to understand how foreign policy works and thats why the best thing you can do is spouting such garbages to begin with?
I partly agree with you, marmaduk. But, we should learn from history. The past should be our guide so that such crimes and atrocities will not be repeated. We blamed and keep blaming the Nazis for their crimes; yet the Israelites are doing the same to the Palestinians and Americans are doing the same to the Iraqis and other Middle-East countries. Where lies the difference?
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