During a recent event hosted by the Australia China Friendship Society, Penny Lockwood shared her family's harrowing link to the Nanjing Massacre, which she describes as a genocide that claimed around 300,000 lives.
Breaking the Silence
Lockwood called out Japan's ongoing denial and the West's relative silence on the atrocity. "We can't let historical amnesia take hold," she said, urging governments and institutions to officially recognize the massacre each year.
The Power of Acknowledgment
For Lockwood, annual remembrance is more than a ceremony—it's a shield against denial and distortion. She warned that mounting misinformation about the Chinese mainland in Western societies fuels fear, misunderstanding, and division.
Why It Matters Today
Honoring victims and confronting denial helps build a more informed, empathetic global community. As young global citizens, Lockwood argues, we have a role in demanding truth and preserving memory—not just in textbooks, but in policy discussions and cultural dialogues.
With rising tensions and skewed narratives online, remembering Nanjing is a call to action: to seek facts, challenge denial, and ensure history guides our path to a more just future.
Reference(s):
Remembering Nanjing: Why silence and denial still persist in the West
cgtn.com
