It is in the spirit of concern for international justice and global peace that we are writing you today. We were shocked to learn that the Japanese city of Minami-kyushu has submitted a cache of letters left by Second World War kamikaze pilots to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register…Read More: PDF in English

Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, was received on Monday by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. On Monday, we issued several reminders to Prime Minister Harper.

On Monday, we reminded Prime Minister Harper of a Motion which passed unanimously in the House of Commons in 2007. The Motion states: “That the Government of Canada should therefore encourage the Government of Japan to…take full responsibility for the involvement of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the system of forced prostitution, including through a formal and sincere apology expressed in the Diet to all of those who were victims; and to continue to address those affected in a spirit of reconciliation.” On Monday, we reminded Prime Minister Harper of the obligation to raise this with Mr. Abe, particularly in light of harsh remarks claiming the necessity of military sexual slavery by Hashimoto, the Mayor of Osaka, in May 2013… Read More 

As Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, is currently visiting Canada and being received by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, we at BC ALPHA (Association for Learning and Preserving the History of WWII in Asia) have some important reminders.

We would like to remind Prime Minister Harper of Motion 291.  Motion 291 calls for the Government of Japan to abandon any statement which devalues the expression of regret from the Kono Statement of 1993; to clearly and publicly refute any claims that the sexual enslavement and trafficking of the ‘comfort women’ for the Japanese Imperial Forces never occurred; to take full responsibility for the involvement of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the system of forced prostitution, including through a formal and sincere apology expressed in the Diet to all of those who were victims; and to continue to address those affected in a spirit of reconciliation.

Read More:  PDF in English | PDF in Chinese | PDF in Korean

In the spirit of new beginnings, we are entering the New Year with the hopes that you and our organization may work together to achieve the goals of truth, reconciliation, and peace in the Asia-Pacific region. As you may be aware, continued denial by Japan’s right-wing government of atrocities committed during the war by the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces is a cause of conflict and insecurity in the Asia-Pacific. The unresolved tensions have manifested in numerous ways this past year. Whether it is territorial disputes in the East China Sea, doubts over the validity of the claims of victims of Japanese military sexual slavery system, or denials of the Nanjing Massacre, what is clear is that the unhealed wounds from the war-time atrocities by the Japanese military, what we recognize as the “Asian Holocaust,” are directly affecting relations between countries in the region today. We simply cannot move into a peaceful and prosperous future without acknowledging and reconciling the past….  Read More

Representatives of BC ALPHA were invited to the annual luncheon meeting of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association (HKVCA).  President of BC ALPHA was asked to present the certificate of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal to the Educator Director of the HKVCA, BC Region for his contribution in educating the Canadians on the history of Canadian Hong Kong Veterans who had endured horrendous treatment during their captivity by the Imperial Japanese forces at the Battle of Hong Kong.  Video interviews have been done with a surviving Hong Kong Veteran, Gerry, as well as with the President of the HKVCA, BC Region for education purpose.

President of BC ALPHA was invited to speak at the book launch of Tatsuo Kage’s book, “Uprooted Again: Japanese Canadians Move to Japan After World War II”.  The speech, Justice for All, is available at Youtube.

On behalf Canada ALPHA, BC ALPHA issued a statement to strongly refute the blunt denial of the history of the Nanjing Massacre by Takashi Kawamura, Mayor of Nagoya, on February 20, 2012 at his meeting with a delegation of Nanjing. The statement is uploaded onto Youtube with Japanese subtitles.

Link to the source article: https://www.alpha-canada.org/wp-content/themes/bcalpha-theme/News/Announcements/Canada%20ALPHA%20Statement%20on%20Shinanogawa%20CFL%20reject%20Nishimatsu%20terms%2023Mar2010_EN.pdf

Link to the source article: https://www.alpha-canada.org/wp-content/themes/bcalpha-theme/News/Announcements/2009Oct30_ALPHA%20Statement%20on%20Nishimatsu%20Yasuno%20Settlement_EN.pdf

Link to the source article: http://archive.alpha-canada.org/candel/Statement.htm