This year, I attended a seminar on the 918 Incident. On that fateful day of September 18, 1931, an explosion destroyed a section of railway track near the Manchurian city of Mukden, now Shenyang. The Japanese used the incident as a pretext for retaliation against China and an invasion of Manchuria.
That was the prelude to the fully fledged invasion of China, following the Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937. The war dragged on until September 2, 1945 when the Imperial Japanese Army surrendered unconditionally. The Japanese invasion had caused untold suffering, with an estimated death toll of over 10 million Chinese.
We sorely need to learn from history. Although wars in the past led to conquests, expansion of political power, exploitation of resources and peoples, and colonisation of faraway lands, civilisation has advanced. In the 21st century, gross injustices and blatant violations of human rights will not be tolerated.
It is interesting to note that, historically, expansionist empires are not the most long-lived. In the 19th century, the British empire was hailed as “the empire on which the sun never sets”. Over the following two centuries, however, Britain would lose virtually all its colonies and it is now struggling to maintain its international influence.
The Mongol empire, at its peak, covered some 9 million square miles (23 million square km) of territory, but in China, its Yuan dynasty lasted less than 100 years.
The Napoleonic empire was quite successful for a while and dominated much of Europe. Yet Napoleon Bonaparte held on for barely 10 years after he was crowned French emperor in 1804.
Israel’s expansion since 1967 appears to have been extremely successful. But the country is condemned by the world community. As of June this year, 146 of 193 United Nations members recognise a Palestinian state. The International Court of Justice says Israel’s continued occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”.
It is important that while we condemn all acts of invasion and war crimes committed by Japan, Russia, the United States and Israel, we must not equate the politicians who are responsible for the wars with the populations of Japan, Russia, the US, or Israel. In a way, these peoples are also victims when it is the politicians who should be held to account.
Even the soldiers who have committed violent acts are victims too, often traumatised by the conflicts they fought in, believing they had been deceived by political rhetoric to go to war. I have seen Japanese soldiers who regretted taking part in the invasion of China, and American soldiers who felt remorse for their acts in the Vietnam and Iraq wars. I have yet to see political leaders from Japan or the US expressing genuine regret for the war crimes committed.
We must not generalise and equate the perpetrators of evil acts with the populations of the countries that use their military might to invade other nations and oppress other peoples. It is the political leaders of the countries who initiate expansionist and exploitative ventures into other people’s territories. In every case, it is not only the people of the colonised or annexed lands who suffer, but also the citizens of the imperialistic regimes.
Instead of injuring, and expressing hatred of, innocent Japanese, Russian, American, Israeli or other individuals, we should continue to appeal for sincere acknowledgements of wrongdoing from politicians in those countries. Genuinely acknowledging wrongs done in the past is a prerequisite for lasting peace.
In 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all UN member states in a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that, by 2030, all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The endorsement of these goals was a result of the acts of politicians. But did they really mean it, or have they just been paying lip service since?
Career politicians are often known to say one thing and do another. They pose real threats to national security, human security and planetary security. Military-industrial complexes pursue short-term profit at the expense of sustainable development. Vested interests have their eyes set on extending their transient gains for as long as possible. They probably see China as a threat to their goal because it supports peace and sustainable development.
To be fair, we should not generalise about politicians either, because not all are warmongers. In every country, there are politicians who can be described as statesmen and who opt for peace. While big financiers and corporations hold huge sway over politicians these days, thanks to the massive wealth they have accumulated, Jimmy Carter and Dwight D. Eisenhower stand out as US presidents who have upheld justice and peace.
Carter was the leader who normalised relations with China and who did not wage war. Eisenhower emphasised fiscal prudence and the pursuit of world peace; he negotiated a truce for the Korea war, and worked to ease tensions during the Cold War.
He is renowned, in particular, for warning against the military-industrial complex in his farewell speech after two presidential terms: “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.”