Archives reveal Japanese war atrocities in Liaoning

SHENYANG — More than 1,200 historical files related to Japan's invasion during World War II were released by the provincial archives of Liaoning on Monday, International Archives Day, shedding new light on Japan's invasion and occupation of China more than 80 years ago.

The files are archival catalogs of the South Manchuria Railways Co, which was founded in 1906 and ceased to operate in 1945. The colonial enterprise was believed to have bankrolled Japan's militarist ambitions during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression between 1931 and 1945.

Among the disclosed files are tables of the compensation for families of soldiers who died and were injured in the Mukden Incident on Sept 18, 1931. The incident occurred when Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for attack. They bombarded Chinese barracks near Shenyang the same evening, beginning a large-scale invasion of northeast China.

Other files are related to events like the Lugou Bridge Incident and the Nanjing Massacre.

"The files showed that the South Manchuria Railways Co played a significant role in the Japanese invasion in China by gathering intelligence, supporting pro-Japanese forces, funding the war, participating in military activities and glorifying the aggression," said Cong Longhai with the Liaoning provincial archives.

According to Cong, during its operation in China, the company controlled the economic lifeline of Northeast China, plundered mineral resources and collected various intelligence.

"The files recorded the evidence of Japan's invasion of China and are also unbreakable evidence written by the Japanese invaders themselves, which are of significant historical value," he said.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and in the World Anti-Fascist War. By releasing the historical files, Cong hopes that they could further help uncover the inside story of Japan's long-planned invasion of China, and tell the heroic deeds of the Chinese nation during that war, he added.

Xinhua