Zhu Youlin, Hong Kong deputy to the National People's Congress
(NPC), has submitted a proposal to the current session to hold
national and international ceremonies to commemorate the 60th
anniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against
Japanese Aggression.
It suggests:
1.?Inviting leaders from the US, Russia, UK, Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and Republic of Korea (ROK) to
attend memorial ceremonies on the 60th anniversary.
2.?Holding a national assembly on September 3 and 18 to
commemorate the war with the attendance of top leaders, sounding a
3-minute siren across the country, flying flags at half-mast and
standing in silent tribute. Otherwise, setting July 7 or August 15
as National Memorial Day.
3.?Establishing a site of commemoration like the Cemetery
of Nameless Martyrs in Russia and Arlington National Cemetery in
the US. National museums and other educational facilities should
open for free.
4.?Setting September 18 as National Memorial Day or
changing Civil Defense Education Day from September 20 to that
day.
In 1951, the government made September 3 the date to commemorate
China's victory. On September 18, 1931, Japanese armies bombarded
Shenyang, Liaoning
Province and soon occupied three provinces in northeast China
in January 1932. On July 7, 1937, the invading forces assaulted
Lugou Bridge, which marked the beginning of Japan's all-out
aggression against China as well as of China's War of Resistance.
The Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945.
China holds memorial activities every ten years, but their scale
is much smaller than the annual ones held for the Invasion of
Normandy and the Liberation of Auschwitz in Europe. It is proposed
that China should adopt a similar approach instead of simply
condemning Japanese leaders' visits to the Yasukuni Shrine.
NPC deputy Kong Lingren from the Medical College of Guangdong-based
Jinan
University also proposed a memorial day to commemorate martyrs
who laid down their lives for the nation.
"Hundreds of thousands of people who died in numerous battles
against foreign aggression in China's modern history deserve the
everlasting respect of the whole nation," Kong told Xinhua in an
interview on Tuesday.
Among China's major days of celebrations are Teachers' Day on
September 10, Tree Planting Festival on March 12, and a day of aid
to people with disabilities on the third Sunday in May.
(China.org.cn by Li Shen, March 9, 2005)