Bring them home

The Red Cross of Japan and North Korea (who I didn't even know had a Red Cross) are the subject of today's article. It provides an lens on a part history that doesn't usually reach western eyes, that of what happens to the countries that didn't win WW2.

日朝赤十字、遺骨返還 で意見交換へ ９・１ ０日、北京で

日本赤十字社は、９、１０両日に北京のホテ ルで北朝鮮の朝鮮赤十字会と意見交換すると７ 日発表した。北朝鮮で戦没した日本人の遺骨返 還や墓参が議題だ。北朝鮮側と遺骨の返還をめ ぐる考え方を共有するのが狙いで、現地の遺骨 や墓地の現状の説明を受ける。

日赤によると、意見交換には、日朝赤十字の 実務者が３人ずつ出席。日本側は今回の意見交 換をきっかけに次回以降、遺骨返還に向けて政 府間を含めた本格協議につなげたいとしている 。今回は日本人拉致問題を取り上げないとい う。

北朝鮮の日本人戦没者をめぐっては、第２次 世界大戦末期の旧ソ連参戦で北朝鮮地域で日本 兵が戦死したほか、終戦後、朝鮮半島経由で日 本に帰ろうとした日本人が食糧不足などで多数 死亡。合計３万人とも推計されている。

http://www.asahi.com/politics/update/0807/TKY201208070443.html

Red Cross of Japan and Korea to have dialog in Beijing 8/9 – 8/10 to discuss return of remains

The Japanese Red Cross announced on the 7 th that it would hold an exchange of views with the Chosun Red Cross of North Korea at a Beijing hotel on the 9 th and 10 th . The topic will be the repatriation of the remains of Japanese war dead as well as grave visits. With the aim of sharing a common way of thinking about the return of remains with the North Korean side, the Japanese Red Cross will receive an explanation of the current situation of the remains and burial sites.

According to the Japanese Red Cross, three officials from each organization will attend the meeting. The Japanese are looking to this exchange of views as a launching point for further meetings that would include governmental representatives in formal discussions on the repatriation of remains. This meeting will not address the issue of abduction of Japanese.

The Japanese war dead in North Korea comprise Japanese soldiers that died in the region that is now North Korea while fighting the former Soviet Union at the end of World War 2 as well as many who died of starvation and other causes on the Korean peninsula while returning to Japan after the war. The total number of dead is estimated at 30,000.