‘That was 80 years ago. Today, we congratulate our fellow Asean members and share in their jubilation over their triumphant national liberation campaigns, even as we emphasize the urgency of asserting the fact of Southeast Asia being a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality.’
THE proclamation of 15 August 1945 as Victory over Japan Day did not mean the end of World War II. Combat continued because the fascist Japanese were pigheaded, as a Filipino then living in Tokyo noted: “Some announced they would henceforth devote their life to science and discover a weapon better than the atomic bomb. Others said they would turn school-teachers to train the younger generation for ‘the next time’. But the more reckless stole pistols from the academy armory and disappeared at night, hunting for the elder statesmen who had ‘misled’ the emperor. In the daytime, they organized guerrilla units that would take to the hills and continue resistance when the Americans landed.” [Leon Ma. Guerrero, 20 August 1945]
Hirohito should have surrendered as soon as America’s “Little Boy” obliterated one of his cities, as the American First Lady noted: “New York, Friday—I could not help feeling a little sad, yesterday, when the news came that we had had to use our second atomic bomb. I had hoped that after the first bomb, which was followed by Russia’s declaration of war and their prompt entry into Manchuria, the Japanese would decide to accept unconditional surrender and the loss of life could come to an end. I still hope that may happen, and it is also the hope of a great many other people, for all news agencies seem to be aware that a momentous decision must be made by Japan within the next few days. The Japanese will either capitulate or face complete destruction.” [Eleanor Roosevelt, “My Day, August 11, 1945,” The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Digital Edition (2017)]
Despite America’s “Fat Man” and Showa Tenno’s “Voice of the Crane” announcement, Moscow honored its obligations to the United Nations and the Red Army’s role as the Army of Liberation was sustained: “In fulfillment of their internationalist duty, the Soviet troops continued to liberate Korea. As a means of expediting the liberation of the whole of North Korea, the Soviet Command sent marine task forces to Idenchin (Etetin) on August 18 and Gensan (Wonsan) on August 21. For the same purpose, the 384th Infantry Division of the 25th Army on August 24 sent airborne troops to Pyongyang (Heijo) and Kanko (Hamhung) which began to receive the surrender of large enemy garrisons.” [Edited and Prefaced by Marshal of the Soviet Union A.A. Grechko. Liberation Mission of the Soviet Armed Forces in the Second World War. Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1975]
In other places in Asia, the local populations did not wait for either the Americans or the Soviets: “At 9 am on 16 August 1945, news of the final defeat of Japanese imperialism was announced throughout the countries of Indochina. The following day, the Japanese general staff announced that it was handing over civil administration to the indigenous peoples. According to the terms of the statement, Japanese imperialism surrendered all power to the legal governments of the various countries that constituted Indochina: Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. These people, the statement added, were from now on independent, with the right to self-determination. Several hours after this news had broken throughout Vietnam, from the north to the south, from town to country, from factory to street, from one family to another, a social storm arose with the power to overturn everything and smash anything. Men and women of all ages, regardless of their political persuasion, poured into the streets in surging waves, shouting cries of hatred mingled with joy; together they swore to fight to the last drop of their blood for the complete liberation of their country.” [Lu Sanh Hanh, “Some Stages of the Revolution in the South of Vietnam,” 1948]
In Quang Nam, on the night of August 17 into the early hours of August 18, 1945, the Standing Committee of the Violent Action Committee reported to the Provincial Party Standing Committee, which immediately decided to launch the uprising…order was issued during the night: “This is ‘once-in-a-thousand-years’ historical destiny of our nation. All patriotic compatriots, all national salvation fighters, and Viet Minh forces at all levels across the province, arm yourselves and violently seize power into the hands of the people, sacrifice for the Fatherland, storm the consulate offices, provincial and district offices, military posts, and government buildings; force the puppet collaborators and security forces to surrender their weapons to the revolution; eradicate the traitorous Vietnamese and bring complete victory to the people.” [https://en.nhandan.vn/august-18-1945-president-ho-chi-minh-sent-a-letter-calling-on-the-entire-nation-to-rise-for-a-general-uprising-post151888.html]
At the same time, in the insular portion of Southeast Asia: “A month and a day after the draft constitution was approved, Indonesia declared its independence in a manner and with a speed no one had anticipated.” [https://ecommons.cornell.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/b27dfd47-0a4e-49dd-a80d-7c8050571a6d/content]
Text of Sukarno’s statement, August 17, 1945, with Hatta standing by his side: “For decades we, the People of Indonesia, have struggled for the freedom of our country—even for hundreds of years! There have been waves in our actions to win independence which rose, and there have been those that fell, but our spirit was still set in the direction of our ideals. Also during the Japanese period, our efforts to achieve national independence never ceased. In this Japanese period, it merely appeared that we leaned upon them. But fundamentally, we still continued to build up our own powers, and we still believed in our own strengths. Now has come the moment when truly we take the fate of our actions and the fate of our country into our own hands. Only a nation bold enough to take its fate into its own hands will be able to stand in strength. Therefore, last night we had deliberations with prominent Indonesians from all over Indonesia. That deliberative gathering was unanimously of the opinion that now has come the time to declare our independence.”
That was 80 years ago. Today, we congratulate our fellow Asean members and share in their jubilation over their triumphant national liberation campaigns, even as we emphasize the urgency of asserting the fact of Southeast Asia being a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality.
