Japan plans to send home remains of 20 thousand soldiers

"The Papua provincial government and I wish to cooperate on the repatriation process because around 20 thousand Japanese skeletons still remain in Biak," Japanese deputy ambassador to Indonesia, Junji Shimada, said.

Jayapura, Papua (ANTARA News) - The Japanese government plans to return home the remains of as many as 20 thousand World War II troops who fought in the South Pacific and are buried in Biak Noemfoor District, Papua Province.

"The Papua provincial government and I wish to cooperate on the repatriation process because around 20 thousand Japanese skeletons still remain in Biak," Japanese deputy ambassador to Indonesia, Junji Shimada, told newsmen here on Tuesday.

Several months ago, the Indonesian representative in Japan, Bambang Sulistyanto, handed over ashes of the remains of 282 Japanese soldiers from World War II found in Biak to Japanese representative Toshinobu Tsuchimoto at the Paray War Memorial.

Toshinobu expressed his appreciation for the ashes of Japanese soldiers who died in World War II in Papua, especially in Biak.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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