World War II Veteran Promotes Reconciliation Between Japanese and British
The Guardian reports that 91-year-old British World War II veteran Philip Malins is being awarded the Order of the Rising Sun for his efforts to promote reconciliation between former British and Japanese soldiers:
The well-documented atrocities endured by many prisoners of war most commonly instilled a long-standing mistrust of Japan among British veterans.
However, Mr Malins spent decades promoting reconciliation and mutual understanding between the two former enemy nations in the aftermath of the war.
Mr Malins, who avoided the fate of becoming a prisoner of war during the conflict, has worked alongside the Sasakawa Foundation to organise reconciliation meetings between veterans.
As well as making several reconciliation visits to Japan, Mr Malins has also hosted representatives from the All Burma Veterans Association of Japan, organised the annual reconciliation services in Coventry and Canterbury and founded the Anglo-Japanese Garden at the National Memorial Aboretum.
In an article from a few years ago, Malins commented on how many British veterans absolutely hate the idea of reconciliation and regard his actions as disgusting:
‘The way the Japanese fought has resulted in a perpetual hatred of them among ex-PoWs that persists to this day,’ said Malins, chairman of the International Friendship and Reconciliation Trust. ‘Reconciliation with the Japanese has been much harder than with the Germans. I was regarded as a nice chap but peculiar, even traitorous, because I was willing to consider reconciliation with the Japanese.’
Malins, who is from Solihull in the West Midlands, has come in for some sharp-tongued criticism and is blunt in return: ‘It is unacceptable to a majority of British veterans. They say: “What about our PoWs?” I say: “What have you done for them? I am the man who initiated the campaign to get them £10,000 compensation. What have you done? You’ve sat on your arse for 60 years and you have the bloody impertinence to ask me what have I done?”
‘It will be a terrible pity if hatred is passed from generation to generation. There are some people who think that by hating the Japanese they’ll get another medal. I say: “If we can find some Japanese who want to fight you, maybe we can sell tickets for people to come and watch.”‘
The official award announcement from the Japanese government can be found here.
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