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Urgent appeal and signature drive
Protest against Revised History Textbooks in Japan
May 10, 2001
The Ministry of Education in Japan recently accepted a revised history textbook to be used in the secondary schools all over Japan. Although more than hundred corrections were made by order of the Textbook Review Council, still the view of Japanese history is very nationalistic and is much different from a more objective history as perceived by the neighboring countries who experienced Japanese occupation during World War II. China, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and other countries are protesting against the official approval of this textbook.

Distorting historical facts:

  1. Japan is described as a nation centered on the emperor, using ancient myths and legends as real history: suggesting that Japan is the center of the world.
  2. It stresses the importance of the nation over the individual instead of democracy where the people make the nation.
  3. It extols the virtue of the individual sacrificing his life for nation and emperor, which is against the concepts of peace and human rights.
  4. The purpose of the Japanese invasion of Asia is seen as establishing the Great East Asian Sphere of Peace, which is not the experience of the East Asian nations that were subjugated then.
  5. No mention is made of the issue of the Comfort Women about which the neighboring countries are so much concerned.

Since Japan is a strong and important nation in Asia we are concerned that the youth educated with such ideas, later on can easily be manipulated by extreme nationalistic elements in society, repeating the mistakes of the past and becoming a danger for its neighbors and for the peace in a globalized world.

Taiwan has been colonialized by Japan for fifty years and we were treated as second class citizens. Even now we are still very much dependent on Japanese economy. Therefore, we should help Japan to become a more democratic and neighbor-friendly country and strongly protest against this dangerous trend in their education.
ACTION REQUESTED

The Justice and Peace Committee of AMRSMW encourages you to support this signature campaign. Please send the collective signatures back (Deadline: May 25) to:

Justice and Peace Committee of AMRSMW
Rm. 815/8F, 2 Zhongshan N. Rd., Sect. 1, Taipei 100

Also, you may send polite letters directly to:

Prime Min. Mr. Koizumi Junichiro
1-6-1 Nagata Cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8914 JAPAN
Comments can be sent directly from web-site: http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/index-e.html

Min. of Edu/Cul/Tech. Ms. Toyama Atsuko
3-2-2 Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8959 JAPAN
Tel: +813-3581-4211 (Reception)
E-mail: voice@mext.go.jp
Comments can be send directly from web-site: http://www.mext.go.jp/english/org/index.htm

Protest against Revised History Textbooks in Japan
Urgent appeal and signature drive
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Please duplicate your own copies if need more.

Read Hotline Urgent Appeal on this Issue

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY
Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 7 June 2001