A recently unveiled document has shed new light on the activities of Unit 731, a notorious Japanese germ warfare unit during World War II. The document was released on Saturday in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province in the Chinese mainland, coinciding with the 86th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression.
Established on December 2, 1940, by the Japanese Kwantung Army, Unit 731 comprised four detachments in Northeast China, with the largest based in Linkou County, Heilongjiang Province. The newly disclosed 177-page document provides an in-depth look at the organizational structure and personnel of this detachment, highlighting its significant role in bacteriological warfare.
Unlike other parts of Unit 731, this detachment did not successfully retreat to Japan following the end of the war. Instead, its members returned individually, submitting personal information registration forms that are now part of the public roster. These records were originally housed in the National Archives of Japan but were repatriated to China in 2022 after prolonged negotiations.
Extensive research and systematic organization of the document have revealed that the Linkou detachment collaborated closely with Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments. Jin Shicheng, a researcher at the Exhibition Hall of Evidence of Crimes Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army, noted, \"The rat-catching operation recorded in the document can be corroborated by previous oral testimonies and historical materials. This further proves that the detachment collaborated with Unit 731 in conducting plague experiments and producing plague germ weapons.\"
This revelation marks a significant breakthrough in understanding the full scope of the Japanese Kwantung Army's involvement in bacteriological warfare. The document not only details the personnel composition and activities of the Linkou detachment but also underscores that the atrocities committed were part of a large-scale, state-sanctioned program rather than isolated incidents.
As researchers continue to analyze the document, it provides crucial evidence for comprehensively exposing the crimes of Unit 731, ensuring that this dark chapter of history is fully acknowledged and remembered.
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Newly unveiled document reveals details of Japanese germ warfare unit
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