Descendant of massacre survivor testifies in Japan

TOKYO - Ge Fengjin, whose father survived the Nanjing Massacre, testified in Tokyo on Wednesday night to discuss the slaughter and remind people to never forget history.

At the invitation of local civil groups, Ge Fengjin shared his father's story to mark the 82nd anniversary of the massacre. About 100 people attended.

His father, Ge Daorong, was only 10 years old when Nanjing fell to Japanese troops. He survived by escaping into a safe zone, but his three uncles did not. Since the 1980s, he has devoted himself to sharing his story. As he gets older, his son has taken over.

"On Dec 13, 1937, Japanese invaders occupied Nanjing and carried out the deadly Nanjing Massacre, killing 300,000 of our compatriots, including my family members," said Ge Fengjin.

As a descendant of a survivor, he said he should not only remember the painful episode, but he also has the responsibility to talk about it and testify to the mass killing.

Sun Zhaiwei, an expert on the Nanjing Massacre and a researcher at Jiangsu Provincial Academy of Social Sciences, spoke about the defense of Nanjing, including the heroic fight by Chinese soldiers and the historical importance of the battle.

Reviewing the event is not meant to prolong hatred, Sun said, but to raise awareness of history, be vigilant of the resurgence of Japanese militarism and work together to strive for and maintain world peace.

Shota Naito, a postdoctoral fellow majoring in history from Japan's Meiji University, told Xinhua that he has been attending the testimonies about the Nanjing Massacre in Tokyo every year since 2015.

Each year, the organizers invite people to talk about the massacre, offering a rare opportunity to learn about the event in Japan, he said, adding that he is concerned that some people in Japan do not know about history, and some even attempt to falsify, forget or deny the existence of the Nanjing Massacre.

"Every time I listen to the stories with tears in my eyes, I feel sorry," he said.

Xinhua