2015年CRI Documents of Nanjing Massacre Inscribed on Memory of World Register

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The decision was made during a three day meeting of UNESCO from October 4 to 6 in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, following a two-year process as part of the 2014-2015 nomination¹ cycle during which 88 submissions² from 61 countries were examined. 

China's application includes three parts.

The first part concerns the period of the massacre³ from 1937 to 1938. The second part is related to the post-war investigation⁴ and trials of war criminals documented by China from 1945 to 1947. And the third part deals with files documented by the judiciary authorities of the People's Republic of China from 1952 to 1956.

Chinese Foreign Ministry⁵ Spokesperson Hua Chunying explains why the documents were submitted to UNESCO. 

"We submitted our application in an attitude responsible for history. Our aim is to let the world people, including the Japanese people, realize the cruelty of the war more profoundly, so that they can better remember history, cherish peace and jointly⁶ safeguard human dignity," said Hua.

Over 300,000 Chinese were murdered by Japanese troops during the War of Resistance against Japanese aggression⁷.

Japan had been making efforts to block China's bid to get the documents recognized by UNESCO.

It says the killing⁸ of a large number of civilians⁹, looting and other acts occurred, but that it is difficult to determine the actual number of victims.

Japan's top government spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, was on record saying that the Chinese application will unnecessarily emphasize a negative legacy¹⁰ from a certain period in the past involving Japan and China.

In response, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying has urged Japan to take responsibility for its history for the benefit of future generations.

Hua Chunying said, "We hope Japan will hold an attitude responsible for history and future generations, sincerely face up and reflect on the history, properly handle the related issues, and take concrete moves to win the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community."

The Memory of the World Register is the list of documentary heritage set up by UNESCO in 1992.

The latest list was revealed after a two-year process as part of the 2014-2015 nomination cycle, during which 88 submissions from 61 countries were examined.

According to UNESCO, Documents of the Nanjing Massacre consists of three parts: the first part concerns the period of the massacre (1937-1938), the second part is related to the post-war investigation and trials of war criminals documented by the Chinese National Government's Military Tribunal (1945-1947), and the third part deals with files documented by the judiciary authorities of the People's Republic of China (1952-1956). 

On December 13, 1937 when Japanese invaders¹¹ first occupied Nanjing, China, they began six weeks of destruction, pillage¹² and slaughter¹³ in the city, which were planned, organized and purposefully executed by the Japanese Army. Over 300,000 Chinese, including defenseless civilians and unarmed soldiers, were murdered, together with countless¹⁴ cases of rape¹⁵, looting and arson¹⁶. 

The Memory of the World Register is the list of documentary heritage under UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme which was set up in 1992 to "preserve documentary heritage and memory for the benefit of present and future generations in the spirit of international cooperation and mutual¹⁷ understanding, building peace in the minds of women and men". 

With Documents of the Nanjing Massacre, China now has 10 inscriptions¹⁸ on the International Memory of the World Register.