A photo exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trial opened at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, with delegates calling on the international community to remember the history of Japanese militarist aggression, guard against the resurgence of "new militarism", and jointly defend the fruits of victory in World War II and uphold the post-war international order.
The exhibition, titled Justice and Peace for All Humanity, displays nearly 70 historic photos and archival documents to revisit the trials of Japanese war criminals by the Allied Nations in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Allied Forces tried Japanese war criminals at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo in 1948. The proceedings, lasting more than two and a half years, played an important part in shaping the postwar Asia-Pacific order.
Marking the first large-scale display of rare Tokyo Trial historical photos and archival materials at the UN headquarters, the exhibition restores the truth of history.
China's Permanent Representative to the UN Fu Cong, along with representatives from Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and other nations, attended the opening ceremony.
"The Tokyo Trial cements the post-war world order, upholds fairness and justice, and advances international rule of law. It is a landmark victory of peace over war, civilization over barbarism, and justice over evil, with far-reaching political and historical significance," Fu said.
Fu said that the target of the Tokyo Trial was Japanese militarism, emphasizing that Japan should have embraced the spirit of the trial, thoroughly liquidated militarist ideology, and remained committed to a peaceful path. However, right-wing forces in Japan have challenged the trial's legitimacy under various pretexts to cover up its history of aggression.
From honoring Class-A war criminals and eroding the pacifist constitution to easing arms export restrictions and lifting bans on collective self-defense, Japan has progressively strayed from the spirit of the Tokyo Trial, Fu said.
Representatives from Russia, the DPRK, and other countries also stressed the trial's historical value and enduring relevance, noting that it embodied humanity's noble ideal of preserving peace through the rule of law and through strict procedures and solid evidence, it delivered a just verdict on Japan's crimes of aggression.
Revisiting the Tokyo Trial 80 years later is about learning from history, remembering the suffering of war, jointly preventing and stopping the rise of "new militarism" from causing harm, and jointly staying vigilant against and resisting any comeback of aggressive forces.
"There is risk of militarism in Japan and this is something that we deplore. We all need to remember what happened 80 years ago, and here we can see what happened in reality. We don't need to forget the history of Japanese war crimes," said Musikhin Maksim, director of the legal department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The exhibition will run until October 30.
Photo exhibition commemorating 80th anniversary of Tokyo Trial opens at UN headquarters
