A document penned by nine Chinese civilians back in the 1930s presented solid evidence of Japanese aggression against China during WWII, greatly contributing to the League of Nations' finding that Japan violated the international law.
Written in both Chinese and English, the document has over 300 pages and is rich in photographic evidence.
It was completed in a 48-day secret operation led by Liu Zhongming and Gong Tianmin, collecting evidence of Japanese aggression following the Mukden Incident taking place on Sept 18, 1931.
The incident occurred when Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near northeast China's Shenyang City, but accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for attack. They bombarded Chinese barracks near Shenyang the same evening, thus beginning a large-scale invasion of northeast China.
The document was sent with the help of an Irish missionary to a team of the League of Nations in a cloth bag stitched with one word in English - "truth".
A researcher at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences said the document is original and systemic and it helped the international community decide on the nature of the Mukden Incident.
"These nine individuals all had distinguished careers and risked everything by providing handwritten signatures, effectively signing what could have been their own death warrants. Their evidence was meticulously prepared, complete with English documentation, an index, and endorsements from international allies. It became a cornerstone of the League of Nations' final report," said Gong Xin, grandson of Gong Tianmin.
On February 24, 1933, the League of Nations voted 42 to 1 in deciding that Japan had violated international law. In response, Japan became the first country to withdraw from the League.
Only one of the nine civilians escaped arrest by the Japanese military. The eight arrested never surrendered even in the face of tortures. They have been known in China as "Shenyang Nine Gentlemen".
Remembering the nine civilians who secretly compiled bilingual materials exposing Japan's crimes in China's northeast
