二战结束60周年的反思

文章标题：二战结束60周年的反思
文章作者：韩山元
发表日期：2005年8月6日
发表媒体：《联合早报•言论》

　　今年是第二次世界大战结束的60周年，也是世界人民战胜法西斯的60周年，正是在这个时候，新加坡发生了一些中学生以法西斯魔王希特勒作为崇拜偶像的事件。

　　这事件在社会上没有引起很大的反响，倒是惊动了教育部长尚达曼和一些有识之士；报上也有几篇针对此事的评论，对我国一般学生历史知识的严重贫乏感到痛心。

　　学生崇拜希特勒据说只因为“好玩”，如果这样很“好玩”，谁能担保有一天新加坡不会有学生崇拜东条英机？谁敢保证不会有一天，新加坡有人穿着印上山下奉文肖像的T恤，大摇大摆满街走？（东条英机是发动太平洋战争导致新加坡沦陷的甲级战犯，山下奉文是60多年前率军攻占新加坡的日军总司令。）

　　由于长期不重视历史学习，在新加坡“史盲”满街走。多年来，不少有识之士一再呼吁各方（特别是教育部门）应重视历史，但是一次又一次的呼唤似乎都随风而逝。这样的事情多了，我对于一些人表示的“痛心”没有多大信心，现在最重要的是如何以实际行动来纠正不重视历史学习的偏差。否则，一切都会流于空谈。

　　由于历史知识的严重贫乏，很多人不晓得靖国神社的性质是什么，为什么日本首相参拜靖国神社会引起韩国与中国的强烈不满？甚至还有人觉得中韩两国有干涉他国内政之嫌，是非黑白全都搞浑了，你说悲哀不悲哀？

　　回顾战后60年国际形势的演变，人们不难发现，日本人对二战的态度与认知，跟世界各国（特别是亚洲）人民有极大的差异，甚至是南辕北辙。究其因，除了日本的文化传统与民族性因素之外，美国在战后蓄意要将日本当作在东亚战略棋盘上的一枚棋子，这也是不可忽视的因素之一。

　　日本投降后，美国决意对日本实行军事占领，为了避免日本人的顽强抵抗，对日本天皇制基本上不触动，还网开一面，让裕仁天皇免在战犯罪名下被起诉。对于被远东军事法庭判处死刑的甲级战犯受供奉于靖国神社，美国占领军也不加阻止，实际上是留下了军国主义与极右势力的两块最后“圣地”，也是两根重要的精神支柱。

　　大战犯不必受审，还给人予“正面人物”的印象，这使到日本人加深了一种错觉，以为日本在二战时没有侵略别人，其本意是要建立所谓的“大东亚共荣圈”。

　　很多日本人至今还以为，日本作为一个国家其实没有被打败，而是日本军队在境外被打败，天皇为了避免本土被毁及更多人民伤亡而下诏书“终战”。

　　这种对二战的错误认知已经长达60年之久，几乎是根深蒂固。日本民众就是如此长期被误导。

　　历史的教训是那么深刻与清晰，遗憾的是那么多人很快就忘记历史教训，问题究竟出在哪里？如果大家都不记取历史教训，纪念还有什么意义？

•作者为退休新闻工作者

Thoughts on the 60th Anniversary of the End of WWII
By Han Tan Juan

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the people's victory over Fascism. I was, therefore, surprised by recent press reports that a group of secondary students at a leadership camp who idolised Hitler had named their team after the dictator.

There have not been strong societal reactions to this. But some, including Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, have expressed concern.

There have also been several newspaper commentaries which lament the lack of understanding of history among students.

It is said that the students have chosen Hitler as the group's name "for fun".

This being the case, students here may well idolise Hideki Tojo some day and Singaporeans may one day swagger down the streets wearing T-shirts with the face of Yamashita Tomoyuki printed on them. (Hideki Tojo was a Class-A war criminal who started the Pacific War which led to the fall of Singapore while Yamashita Tomoyuki was the commander of Japanese forces which invaded and occupied Singapore more than 60 years ago).

Who is to say that this will not happen?

We have never put much stress on learning history and the result is that many Singaporeans are "illiterate about history".

There has been no lack of learned people who, over the years, have urged the relevant organisations (especially the Education Ministry) to place more emphasis on history. The calls appeared to have gone unheeded.

The "regret" expressed by some people will, I doubt, be of much help. We need to act to make the necessary correction. Talk will remain, well, just talk.

Many who do not know much about history are not aware of the symbolism of the Yasukuni shrine and are clueless about why Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the shrine will trigger strong protests from South Korea and China.

Some even feel that China and South Korea may be interfering with Japan's domestic affairs. This confusion over truth and falsehood is saddening.

Looking back at developments in the global political arena since the end of WWII, it's easy to see that Japanese's attitude towards and understanding of the war is very different or even completely at odds with people in other countries (particularly Asian countries).

Other than cultural and nationalistic reasons within Japan, deliberate efforts by the United States to use Japan as a "pawn" in its East Asian strategy is also an important factor.

The US decided upon the military occupation of Japan after it surrendered. But to avoid strong resistance from the Japanese people, Japan's Imperial system was left intact and Emperor Hirohito was also spared from being tried as a war criminal.

It also did not stop the remains of Class-A war criminals convicted and sentenced to death by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East from being honoured in the Yasukuni shrine.

The Imperial system and the Yasukuni shrine are now the last two things held "sacred" by Japanese militarists and rightist extremists and also serve as their pillars of strength.

When a major war criminal was not only spared but also given a "positive image", it deepens the misconception among Japanese that Japan did not invade other countries during WWII and was only trying to create the so-called "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere".

To this day, many Japanese still believe that Japan as a country has not been defeated, only its troops overseas were. And that the Japanese Emperor had ordered an end to the war to prevent Japanese land from destruction and more casualties.

Such misconceptions have been around for 60 years and may be too deep-rooted to dispel. The Japanese people have been misled for a long time.

The lessons from history are profound and clear. It is regrettable that many people just do not seem to remember.

Just what is the problem? And what's the point of having commemorative activities when we don't bear firmly in mind the lessons from history?

The writer is a retired journalist. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.