Japanese Remains Reunion After Eight Decades: Thai Individual Seeks Restitution of Soldiers' Fossils to Japan
In the Long district of Phrae Province, northern Thailand, efforts are underway to repatriate the remains of Japanese soldiers who lost their lives during World War II. A memorial, built by a local man named Puchong, stands as a testament to these unknown soldiers.
Puchong, whose father was a member of the Free Thai resistance group, constructed the memorial near the burial site in 2018. The inscription, written in Thai, Japanese, and English, honors two Japanese soldiers who died during a gunfight with Free Thai fighters in the Wiang Ta subdistrict, two years before the end of World War II.
The Japan Association for Recovery and Repatriation of War Casualties is actively coordinating with the Japanese government’s Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry and local Thai organizations. The aim is to conduct an on-site investigation in fiscal year 2025 with the objective of recovering these remains. This initiative forms part of the broader effort to recover Japanese war dead overseas, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Puchong, expressing his wish to see the remains returned to Japan, stated that there is nothing good about war and no one gains from it. He expressed his hope that wars will not happen again.
The soldiers in question were among those who lost their lives in conflicts involving Thai resistance forces in Phrae Province, which was strategically significant during the war as Japan used Thailand as a base of operations in Southeast Asia.
The Free Thai resistance group, dissatisfied with the alliance formed by the Thai government, expanded its presence in the country with support from the Allied forces. The soldiers were victims of World War II, according to Puchong.
The memorial's construction and repatriation efforts reflect a commitment on both sides to honor the dead, despite the complex wartime history between Japan and Thailand. No public updates about the completion of the recovery or repatriation have yet been reported, but these coordinated efforts indicate progress toward returning the remains to Japan.
[1] Japan Times
[2] Bangkok Post
- The Japan Times reported that Puchong, resonating with the sentiments of war, hoped for the repatriation of the Japanese soldiers' remains, stating, "No one gains from war."
- The progress in repatriation efforts, as depicted in the Bangkok Post, demonstrates a shared desire in politics and general news to honor the dead, as both Thailand and Japan work together to commemorate the soldiers lost in war-and-conflicts.
