Does Japanese pride extend to the 'Death Railway'?
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Like many Australians, I was brought up on the suffering and privations endured by the prisoners of war and civilians forced to build the Thai-Burma railway. Last month I was finally able to make the "pilgrimage" to Hellfire Pass and the famous River Kwai
To my concern, I noticed a Japanese display on the western bank of the bridge. It consisted of a hut with a mock-up of a Japanese soldier and a lady in a kimono standing next to it. Scattered around were what seemed like ammunition boxes and a large Japanese flag.
I was greatly affronted by this exhibit and found it deeply insensitive. It seemed to express Japanese pride in the efforts they had made to build the railway, regardless of the suffering they had caused. This attitude was also on display during Prime Minister Abe’s recent visit to the US, where he again failed to apologise for his country’s wartime atrocities.
Mark Taylor
Canberra
