Memory and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific

The Memory and Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific program is aimed at promoting the study of the ongoing “memory wars” as well as reconciliation efforts in the region. Created in the fall of 2003 with a grant from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and supported with other resources, our program is hosted by the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Please note that the external links shared on this website are being provided for informational purposes only, and their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement or approval by the Program. For any questions, suggestions or updates regarding the contents of our website, please contact us at [email protected]. Your support is much appreciated.

Feb. 15, 2015 – Chinese Patrol Ships Enter Disputed Waters (Sputnik)

February 20, 2015
China

“Japanese officials cried alarm on Sunday as Chinese patrol ships entered the waters of the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, and Chinese officials vowed to increase their presence in the area.”

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Feb. 14, 2015 – “Possible subs snub seen as a blow to Japan’s shifting military posture” (The Australian)

February 20, 2015
Asia-Pacific

“The confusion Tony Abbott has injected into the future submarine issue is undermining Japan’s efforts to sell a more assertive new security policy to the region.”

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Feb. 13, 2015 – Korean Government to “bolster education on wartime sex slaves” (Korea Times)

February 20, 2015
Comfort Women

“The government will bolster education for school children on Japan’s sexual enslavement of Asian women during World War II to help them better understand the long-standing issue, the education ministry said Friday.”

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Feb. 11, 2015 – “‘Discordant harmony’ of Asian art” (Korea Herald)

February 20, 2015
China

“Contemporary art has become borderless, with visual presentations coming to focus less on national identity and more on individuality. In what appears to be an attempt to go against this trend, Art Sonje Center is seeking to explore the national…

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Feb. 11, 2015 – “How Two Small Rocks Stop Japan and South Korea Getting Along” (Bloomberg Business)

February 20, 2015
Japan

“Once a source of fortune for Japanese fishermen hunting sea lions and abalone, a pair of remote rocks is stopping the U.S.’ two biggest allies in Asia from getting along…”

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Feb. 9, 2015 – “Japan to Open Military Aid Channel” (The Diplomat)

February 13, 2015
Japan

“Japan’s new Development Cooperation Charter will allow for non-combat military aid and prioritize Southeast Asia.”

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Feb. 8, 2015 – Singaporean Views on Territorial Disputes in Asia (Strait Times)

February 13, 2015
Territorial/Maritime Disputes

Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of the city-state of Singapore, pragmatically argues that “disputes can be set aside” in the region and that it is possible to “move on and try to keep the relationship on an even, practical and…

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Feb. 6, 2015 – “NHK Chief’s ‘Comfort Women’ Stance Reignites Debate Over Neutrality” (WSJ)

February 13, 2015
Comfort Women

“The head of Japan’s national broadcaster said the station will be “very careful” about covering the issue of forced prostitution at Japan’s wartime military brothels due to what he said was a lack of clarity on the government’s “official stance”…

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Feb. 5, 2015 – 19 U.S. Historians Unite to Condemn Abe’s Efforts to Revise History of ‘Comfort Women’ in U.S. Texbook

February 13, 2015
Comfort Women

19 U.S.-based Historians, members of the American Historical Association, issued a collective statement entitled “Standing with Historians of Japan,” strongly condemning PM Abe’s recent efforts to revise depictions of ‘comfort women’ in a history textbook published by McGraw-Hill (“Tradition & Encounters:…

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Authenticity and Victimhood after the Second World War examines victim groups constructed in the twentieth century in the aftermath of these experiences. The collection explores the concept of authenticity through an examination of victims’ histories and the construction of victimhood in Europe and East Asia. Chapters consider how notions of historical authenticity influence the self-identification and public recognition of a given social group, the tensions arising from individual and group experiences of victimhood, and the resulting, sometimes divergent, interpretation of historical events. Drawing from case studies on topics including the Holocaust, the siege of Leningrad, American air raids on Japan, and forced migrations from Eastern Europe, Authenticity and Victimhood after the Second World War demonstrates the trend towards a victim-centered collective memory as well as the interplay of memory politics and public commemorative culture.

Why do some governments and societies attach great significance to a particular anniversary year whereas others seem less inclined to do so? What motivates the orchestration of elaborate commemorative activities in some countries? What are they supposed to accomplish, for both domestic and international audience? In what ways do commemorations in Asia Pacific fit into the global memory culture of war commemoration? In what ways are these commemorations intertwined with current international politics?

The book is based on a conference convened by the Project in 2015. This book presents the first large-scale analysis of how countries in the Asia Pacific and beyond commemorated the seventieth anniversaries of the end of World War II. Consisting of in-depth case studies of China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, United States, Russia, and Germany, this unique collective effort demonstrates how memories of the past as reflected in public commemorations and contemporary politics—both internal and international—profoundly affect each other.

The book can be purchased here.

Professor Yang recently moderated an EU-Russia Civil Society Forum panel on memory of World War II in East Asia. The speakers discussed the mainstream narratives on WWII history in East Asia, the current challenges in the WWII commemoration within the region and how WWII is reflected in the history education at school.