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Astonishing find: WW2 soldiers
27/05/2005 11:26 - (SA)
Manila - Diplomats from Japan on Friday investigated the astonishing claims of two men who say they are former Japanese soldiers who have been hiding in the mountains of southern Philippines since World War 2.
Japanese Embassy representatives went to the southern Philippines to interview the men in a meeting arranged by a third person who contacted the mission, embassy official Masaru Watanabe said.
Media reports in Japan said the two octogenarians had lived on the southern island of Mindanao and their equipment suggested they were former soldiers, with one report saying they were separated from their division and later wanted to return to Japan but feared they would face a court-martial.
Japanese embassy spokesperson Shuhei Ogawa cautioned it was too early to draw any conclusions, saying there was no evidence yet that the men were WW2 fighters.
"We even don't know the existence of such people, that's why we are checking," Ogawa said by phone from southern General Santos city. "We don't have direct contact yet with them. We just arrived."
Investigating their identity
The reports were reminiscent of World War 2 straggler lieutenant Hiroo Onoda, who believed the war was still on when he was found in the jungles of the Philippines in 1974. He refused to give up until March of that year, when the Japanese government flew in his former commander to formally inform him the war was over.
Japan's Kyodo News agency said the two may be Yoshio Yamakawa, 87, and Tsuzuki Nakauchi, 83. But the health ministry in Tokyo declined to confirm the report saying they could not disclose any information until officials have identified them.
Embassy officials "want to meet directly with those two persons to find out if they are really Japanese soldiers, (and to find out details) beginning with their names and age" ,Watanabe said.
Watanabe declined to give other details.
Possibly more soldiers in mountains
The Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun said the two had been in the mountains of Mindanao for about 60 years.
They remained there after failing to join their division after wandering in the mountains, the paper said. Last September, a Japanese national who is in the lumber business, ran into them in the mountains. It was learned later they wanted to go back to Japan but were afraid of facing a court-martial for withdrawing from action, the Sankei said.
Another source told the paper that there may be more than 40 other Japanese soldiers living in the mountains and they all want to return to Japan, the Sankei said.
In Tokyo, chief cabinet secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said Japan had no idea who these two men were, but Japanese Embassy officials would talk to them later in the day.
"Our embassy staff in the Philippines will meet the people for identification," Hosoda said. "We don't know who they are, but we are looking forward to the meeting."
- AP
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