95 years on: Remembering September 18 Incident and lessons for peace

Sirens wailed and a bell tolled in northeast China on Friday to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the September 18 Incident, which marked the start of China's war of resistance against Japanese aggression.

Hundreds of people, including veterans and their relatives, gathered at the square of the 9.18 Historical Museum in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, to honor those who fought in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

At exactly 9:18 a.m., 14 representatives from various sectors struck a huge bell 14 times, symbolizing the 14 years of bitter struggle against Japanese invaders.

Across the province, three minutes of air-raid sirens echoed, as pedestrians stood still in silent tribute.

Since 1995, Shenyang has sounded the air-raid alarm every year to commemorate the September 18 Incident.

On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops blew up a section of railway under their control near Shenyang and accused Chinese troops of sabotage as a pretext for their attack later that night against barracks near Shenyang, launching their premeditated invasion of China. 

Preserving wartime memories through historical records

The 9.18 Historical Museum recently received a collection of precious historical relics donated by Zhan Hongge, a local collector. 

The historical materials he donated include newspapers and periodicals published in China and abroad between 1931 and 1945, covering events such as the Japanese militarists' launch of the September 18 Incident, their occupation of northeast China, the resistance efforts of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and Japan’s announcement of its unconditional surrender.

Tian Jing, a research librarian at the museum, told China Media Group (CMG) that those newspapers and periodicals will provide valuable supplementary materials for our future research and exhibitions on the historical facts of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army led by the Communist Party of China.

Calls for historical reflection in Japan

In Tokyo, a number of Japanese history scholars and peace activists held a symposium on Wednesday to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the September 18 Incident. They shared views on war memory, accountability for wartime aggression and the passing down of ideals of peace at the symposium. 

Takakage Fujita, secretary-general of the Association for Inheriting and Propagating the Murayama Statement, said the September 18 Incident had been concealed by the Japanese government for a long period during the war and only gradually became known to Japanese society through the Tokyo Trials, which came as a shock to many Japanese people.

In an interview with CGTN, Atsushi Koketsu, emeritus professor at Yamaguchi University in Japan, said Japan must apologize sincerely where apology is due as it seeks better relations with other countries. 

Koketsu said he believes the September 18 Incident marked the beginning of Japan's path toward defeat. 

Noting Japan deliberately used the term "incident" rather than war, Koketsu said it was not an "incident," it was a war fought without a declaration of war. 

Acknowledging many of the most shameful chapters of history have been buried in darkness, Koketsu said scholars like him have a duty to pass on the truth of that war accurately to future generations.  

"If we neglect that responsibility of preserving and transmitting its history, and if we deny, revise, fabricate,or distort the history of that war, that is the true guilt," he said.  

(With input from Xinhua)