The Rape of Nanking and Tiananmen Square

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Throughout history, genocide has been one of the most devastating human calamities. The Rape of Nanking, or the Nanking Massacre is an example of one of the worst genocides in history. This event was so horrific that it is sometimes referred to as the “forgotten Holocaust” (The Rape). Beginning on December 13, 1937, Japan invaded China and “the mass execution of soldiers and the slaughtering and raping of tens of thousands of civilians took place in contravention of all rules of warfare” (The Rape). This occurred because the Japanese had a feeling of contempt towards the Chinese and thought of them to be inferior. The Japanese soldiers and the Japanese government were at fault for all the crimes committed against the Chinese people. Another infamous genocide is the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing. On June 3, 1989, the Chinese army moved into Tiananmen Square and opened fire at peaceful protesters and innocent civilians. The victims of this massacre were unarmed protesters, mainly students, protesting against China’s Communist administration, as they demanded democratic reform. The army shocked its people by its “sudden and extreme response to the peaceful mass protest” (W1). The Chinese government is to blame for the savage killings of their own people. Ultimately, the Japanese soldiers and the Japanese government are to blame for the Rape of Nanking while the Chinese government is at fault for the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

The Rape of Nanking is one of the cruelest crimes against humanity. When the city of Nanking fell in 1937, the Japanese soldiers started to implement brutal methods of torturing and killing the Chinese people. “Tens of thousands of young men were rounded up and herded to the outer areas of ...

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...many of their own people died and therefore are at full fault for the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Furthermore, the Chinese government even guaranteed their safety by telling them that the protest would be suppressed without violence. “Troops were used to clear the square despite repeated assurances from Chinese politicians that there would be no violence” (W1). Also, to this day, “Beijing still suppresses the truth about the Tiananmen Square Massacre” (Wright). Because the Chinese government lied to their people and to other people worldwide, the Chinese government should solely be held accountable for their actions towards their own people during the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

Ultimately, in the future, war crimes like the Rape of Nanking and atrocities such as the Tiananmen Square Massacre can be prevented by being more aware and involved in world affairs.

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