Protest procession through the busy streets
of Amsterdam on May 23

Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WW II in Asia

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Press Release on protest against the visit of Emperor Akihito to the Netherlands

The Hague, May 24, 2000

To commemorate the 400^th anniversary of the Dutch-Japanese relations, Japan's Emperor Akihito started a state visit to the Netherlands on May 23. In order to remind Japan of its war crimes and unfinished responsibilities, the Foundation for Japanese Honorary Debts (JES) organized a series of activities during the state visit (May 23-26), which were supported by many international peace organizations, including veteran and grassroots organizations from Japan, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, US and Canada. These activities captured tremendous attention from the general public in the Netherlands and the international press. Many observers commended on these activities as a powerful moving force facilitating a new milestone in the international redress movement against Japan.

In cooperation with Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WW II in Asia and the Canadian Association for Learning and Preserving the History of WW II in Asia,, JES sponsored the exhibition of photos and stamps in the Hague on May 20-28. Entitled "Unfinished Matters: The Other Face of Japan," the exhibition focused on the Nanjing Massacre, the Military Sexual Slavery ("Comfort Women"), and the Unit 731 (a military research unit using live human beings for experiments on biochemical warfare). The very first of its kind in Europe, the exhibition provides rich and verified historical documents to testify to the war crimes and atrocities committed by Japanese imperial forces, which some Japanese leaders and the right wing revisionists want to deny or whitewash today. The opening ceremony in Kunstpassage, Plein on May 20 was attended by many international dignitaries, including the Chinese Ambassador Hua Liming.

To further enhance public awareness of Japan's unfinished business, JES organized a protest march on May 23 in Amsterdam to coincide with the arrival of Emperor Akihito. Joined by several hundred JES members and supporters, the procession went through one of the busiest business areas in Amsterdam, which started in front of the Central Station and ended in the national memorial monument across the Imperial Palace. Many marchers put on the JES jacket imprinted with a strong statement "Pay Your Debts" in both Japanese and English. Many elderly marchers cried when they laid their flowers in front of the monument. JES members would stage marches in the Hague, Leiden and Roderdam, representing all the places Emperor Akihito would visit in the Netherlands, for they want their voice--"Pay Your Debts"-- heard by Japan's national figure head.

Today, 24 May, JES organized two demonstrations in the Hague. The first demonstration started in front of the Parliament at 10 a.m. when Japan's Emperor Akihito was later to enter the Parliament compound for a state luncheon. The second demonstration took place around 2:00 p.m. at the Peace Palace to which Emperor Akihito was paying a visit. The demonstrations started out as peaceful protests, ending with certain police brutality. Many participants openly expressed their disappointment at the police's abuse of the constitutional rights of free speech and free assembly in the Netherlands. Viko Lamain (66), a JES member, lamented that the police brutality made him ashamed of being a Dutchman.

About three hundred JES members and supporters participated in the demonstrations today, including supporters from abroad such as Prof. Yue-him Tam, President of the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WW II in Asia, Mr. Keith J. Martin, Chair of the Association of British Civilian Internees of Far East Region, Mr. H. C. Zeeman, President of the New Zealand Action Committee on Ex-Japanese War Victims, and Ms. Thekla Lit, Co-chair of the Canadian Association for Learning and Preserving the History of WW II in Asia.

For the demonstration in the morning, the participants formed a procession starting from the Plein and marched to the square across the street from the Parliament under the direction of Dr. General B. Bouman, JES President, who is a nationally respected Brigade-General of the Royal Netherlands Artillery (Ret.). In his speech Dr. Bouman told the marchers that he rejected the state luncheon invitation because he could not stand sitting down with Emperor Akihito while JES members and supporters were standing out side in protest of Japan's continuous denial of its responsibility. The marchers applauded his decision with several rounds of applause.

Among the protesters were Tineke Maschhaupd and Eva Bandruff, the former Dutch sexual slaves ("Comfort Women"), who told fellow marchers that they were brutally raped by their Japanese captors day in and day out for more than a year during the war. They also emphasized that their ordeals have not been ended today psychologically, financially and culturally. Another moving story was about the Bruno family. Supported by her two sons and a daughter-in-law, who were in their early twenties, Mrs. Bruno put up the banner demanding "Stop Honoring War Criminal Sone Kanichi," which attracted special attention. According to Mrs. Bruno, she witnessed the Japanese officer Sone Kanichi beating her mother to death in Indonesia during the war. As a war criminal, Sone was sentenced to death by hanging in the late 1940's. But he was enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine, head temple of the Japanese Shinto religion, in 1985. The Brunos were protesting that their family's murderer and convicted war criminal Sone could be worshipped as a national hero in Japan today.

Before Emperor Akihito entered the Parliament building, the police stepped up their security measures to ensure that the protesters would not be seen by the Japanese visitors. The police also ordered the protesters to roll up their banners. When the protesters refused, they took action. One elderly demonstrator was thrown to the ground by a police in order to take away his banner. They also attempted to take away the banner of the Bruno's but confronted with strong resistance from the Brunos and their supporters. Attempted arrests were made against the Brunos who were protected by their supporters. Mr. Keith J. Martin's sash with wordings demanding justice for the British veterans, which he brought with him from England, was snatched away by the police in spite of his protest.

During the afternoon demonstration, there was no more visible banner. Yet the police prohibited the protesters to wear the JES vest imprinted with the slogan "Pay Your Debts" in both Japanese and English. The police virtually torn apart the vests from the bodies of the protesters who were not complying. One police, on condition of anonymity, revealed that the Japanese embassy was outraged with the demonstration in the morning and stepped up their demand for removing all visible signs of protest, including the JES vests. Moreover, there appeared a drastic increase of special security agents in plain clothes from Japan in the Hague. He quoted from one source that there were even Japanese nationals in Dutch police uniform patrolling in strategic areas throughout the Netherlands during the Japanese state visit. He lamented that his own government was placed under the control of the Japanese, hurting the Dutch sovereignty and insulting the efficiency of the Dutch police force. JES was to investigate how many members were harmed by the police during the demonstrations today.

Hague demonstration on May 24 drew a
lot of attention from media, especially Japanese media.

Bruno family members holding banner at the Parliament in the Hague on May 24.

Protester holding photo of her father tortured and killed by the Imperial Japanese Army during WW II at the Hague demonstration on May 24.