Memorial Day a time to 'remember', 'inspire'

A memorial service to mark the 80th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre committed during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) brought together hundreds of activists and members of the Chinese and other Asian communities on Sunday in San Francisco.

The memorial, organized by the Rape of Nanking Redress Coalition, the Committee to Promote Reunification of China, the Alliance for Preserving the Truth of Sino-Japanese War and Comfort Women Justice Coalition, has been held annually for the past 20 years with the aim of exposing the Japanese Imperial Army's war crimes and encouraging people to understand and never forget the dark chapter of history.

"The Japanese army blatantly violated international conventions and committed the extremely cruel atrocity in Nanjing, where 300,000 Chinese were murdered and one-third of the buildings were destroyed," Zha Liyou, acting Chinese consul general in San Francisco, said at the service.