Li Jun has been busy sending e-mail and making phone calls to scholars and experts on World War II, in an effort to find out more about a "Mukden" prisoner of war(POW) camp in her hometown.

"There are only five rooms left at the former site of the camp," Li said. "We need to know more about the camp to research this period of World War II history. However, the local government has not taken any action to protect it."

Li heads the local Institute of Cultural Relics in Liaoyuan, as mall city lying on China's northeastern plains, once famous for its rich coal resources. She is eager to explore and preserve the POW camp.

The Liaoyuan POW camp was one of the two secret branches of the Mukden(now Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province) camp. There, Japanese troops detained more than 2,000 World War II prisoners from different countries, Li said.

"What makes the Liaoyuan camp different is that its prisoners were all high-level officials," she said. According to World War II experts, 41 Allied senior officers and more than 200 field rank officers were detained at the facility before 1945.

On the camp's POW name list, there is Lt. Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright, who served under Gen. Douglas MacArthur during the war, and Gen. Arthur E. Percival, the British Commander at the time.

They were rescued in August 1945, and they were also in attendance when MacArthur signed the Japanese copy of the Instrument of Surrender.

"Liaoyuan is important for the study of World War II history, since there are few documents or materials available on Japanese POW camps," said Zhang Yibo, an 81-year-old professor who specialized in the POW history of World War II.

The task of preservation became extremely urgent in late 2007, when local officials decided to tear down the surviving five rooms. Local experts and historians appealed for government attention and further exploration of the subject.

Qu Daode, a local history enthusiast, wrote to the mayor of Liaoyuan, emphasizing the importance of preserving and renovating the POW site.

"A proposal on preservation, drafted by professor Zhang, was submitted to the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference," said Qu, "The local governmentof Liaoyuan withdrew the decision to demolish the site after considering our suggestion."

"We need professional archaeologists to dig out more about the camp," Li said. Underground tunnels were discovered beside the site several years ago, and local experts surmised that the tunnel might lead to a power plant 300 meters away.

"What are these tunnels for? Why did the Japanese choose to putthese high-ranking officers in Liaoyuan? These questions will remain unsolved without further study," she said.

"Witnesses are very important to us," Li added, "We are trying to contact people who were in the camp. They would greatly help usby telling us stories and details."

An exhibition about POW camps in China was held in the United States early this year and drew much attention, according to Li.

In Shenyang, a museum was built on the Mukden POW campsite in 2007. Li said that she hoped it could be an example of preservation for the Liaoyuan site.

"We must not forget history when we move forward, and I feel that we can't leave this part of history blank," she said.  

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2008)