The foremost condition for preventing a third world war is the ideological defeat of neo-fascism! - Dr. Wasantha Bandara, General Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement

Aug 30, 2025 at 01:35 PM

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Lanka Leader

This year marks the 80th anniversary of both the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. In recognition of this significant occasion, the Lanka Leader News website is publishing a series of articles. As part of this series, we present a discussion with Dr. Wasantha Bandara, General Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement. Below is the written transcript of the interview.

Question: This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. In a recent press release, you highlighted both the victory of the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the broader triumph of the world anti-fascist struggle. While much attention is given to the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany, China’s role in securing victory in World War II is less well known. Could you elaborate on the contribution you referred to in your statement?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: Yes. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Hitler’s fascist Nazi Germany, which unleashed World War II—an event that present-day Russia commemorates with great pride. Three main countries fostered fascism during that war: Germany, Japan, and Italy. Later, Romania, Hungary, and Bulgaria also joined this alliance. Ukraine, which today is being used by the West as a battlefield against Russia, too aligned with this axis at the time. Germany and Italy sought dominance in Europe, while Japan aimed to establish control over East Asia. Just as Nazi Germany inflicted inhuman atrocities on Jews and Soviet Russians, imperial Japan carried out immense barbarities across East Asia—where China bore the brunt of this brutality and made enormous sacrifices in its resistance.

Question: Are you suggesting that China’s role in defeating the fascist alliance during World War II was greater than that of the Soviet Union?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: No. The commitment of both China and the Soviet Union to defeating fascism was beyond comparison. The sacrifices they made for the survival of human civilization were unparalleled. To try to weigh one against the other, in my view, is apolitical. What I wish to highlight is that a group of Chinese youth, who began as a small study circle in 1921, confronted the Japanese invasion despite China’s deep internal divisions, and within just four years after the war, led their nation to victory in the socialist revolution. This achievement marks an important milestone in the global struggle for peace, anti-imperialism and socialism. We stand with the Chinese people in commemorating both their victory in the war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the broader victory of the world anti-fascist struggle—because the uniqueness of that commemoration carries profound significance for the challenges facing the world today.

Question: Could you explain the significance of this event?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: To truly understand its significance, we must first revisit the Japanese invasion of China. While World War II is traditionally dated to September 1, 1939, when Hitler’s fascist Nazi Germany invaded Poland, many historians contend that it began earlier with Japan’s aggression against China. Some mark July 7, 1937, when Japan launched a full-scale invasion, as the true beginning. Others trace it back even further to September 18, 1931, when the Japanese Emperor staged a false-flag incident to justify creating the puppet state of Manchukuo and occupying Manchuria. In this sense, a major member of the fascist alliance had already invaded China seven years before the war officially began.

The Japanese Imperial Army, driven by a ruthless disregard for humanity, carried out a series of atrocities that in many respects rivaled—or even surpassed—those of Nazi Germany. These crimes continued until Japan’s unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945. The human cost to China was staggering.

More than 30 nations were directly involved in World War II, and historians estimate that over 100 million people perished. Of these, between 50 and 85 million were civilians in China and the Soviet Union—revealing the immense sacrifices these two nations made for the survival of humanity. At a commemorative ceremony in Colombo on August 20, marking the Chinese people’s victory in their war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the broader global anti-fascist struggle, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong reminded us that 35 million Chinese lives were lost during the World War II.

Question: While we acknowledge the immense loss of Chinese lives during World War II, why, 80 years after the war’s end, should we celebrate the Victory Day of China’s resistance against Japanese aggression that ultimately expelled the Japanese imperial army?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: Your question is an important one, and I will approach it from a broader historical perspective.

Military historians note that biological and chemical warfare has a long, disturbing history. In the 6th century BC, the Assyrians allegedly poisoned wells used by their enemies with rye ergot. In the 4th century BC, Scythian archers are said to have coated their arrows with the venom of snakes and decaying corpses. In 1347, the Mongols who invaded Caffa (in Crimea) reportedly used catapults to hurl plague-infected corpses into the city, helping spread the Black Death throughout Europe. During the colonization of the Americas between the 15th and 18th centuries, smallpox-infected “blankets” were given to Native Americans, causing devastating epidemics.

With the advent of germ theory in the 19th and early 20th centuries, biological warfare became more “scientific.” In World War I, Germany reportedly attempted to infect Allied livestock with anthrax and glanders bacteria.

However, the most horrifying cases occurred in World War II, through the actions of infamous Unit 731, stationed in Japanese-occupied Manchuria, China. There, Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were deliberately infected with anthrax, cholera, and other diseases. Infected fleas were released into cities. Tens of thousands of Chinese lives were lost as a result of these inhumane acts. Yet, despite the scale of these crimes, there has been little serious global discussion about them.

Question: But we are now in the second decade of the 21st century, and biological weapons are banned under international law. Many would say that the Japanese people have already moved on from this dark chapter of history. So why revisit a past that some believe should be forgotten?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: The world today is far from as stable or peaceful as it may seem. Economic crises similar to those that triggered the First and Second World Wars are now emerging in the United States and Western countries. At the same time, BRICS countries—Russia, China, India, Brazil, and South Africa—are forming new power centers on the global stage. Currently, the collective West is waging a proxy war against Russia from Ukrainian territory, while the United States engages in a tariff war targeting China. Political analysts warn that the next “Ukraine” could be Taiwan, and the next “Russia” could be China. Meanwhile, the Gaza Strip has become a humanitarian catastrophe, attempts have been made to destabilize Iran, and the United States seeks to escalate its sanctions against Venezuela into potential military pressure. For nearly six decades, unjust sanctions have also been imposed on Cuba, a nation committed to non-violence.

Beyond these immediate conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered what some call a global “Reset.” Notably, Bill Gates predicted in 2015 the pandemic that emerged in March 2020. The same forces have suggested that up to 50% of the world’s population must perish for the survival of humanity.

Adding to this, U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard recently revealed that the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officers were revoked due to allegations of intelligence manipulation and politicization. According to Gabbard, this was an initial step to remove operatives of the so-called “Inner State” or deep state within the United States. The list included prominent figures such as former Deputy Director of the NSA Richard Ledet, former Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence Brett Holmgren, and former Principal Deputy Director of the DNI Stephanie O’Sullivan. Gabbard described the situation as a “cleansing operation” within the intelligence community, addressing what she called a complete “pockets” within U.S. intelligence agencies.

Overall, it is clear that a vast network of corporations and powerful actors is manipulating global tensions to serve its own interests. The world is far more complex and precarious than it may appear.

Question: But why do you suspect that the crimes committed by the former Japanese empire in China could be repeated elsewhere by present-day Japanese people?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara Rather than hastily claiming that such actions will be repeated, I would emphasize that the fascist tendencies that existed 80 to 100 years ago still persist among the powerful elements of Japanese society. Imperialist forces are attempting to glorify fascism, not only within Japan but across the world.

A similar situation can be seen in Ukraine today. For example, the UN Charter on the Rights of Peoples and Religion is being blatantly violated inUkraine. The Ukrainian Constitution still contains provisions fully guaranteeing the rights of the Russian language, as well as the rights of other ethnic minorities. Yet President Zelensky has introduced laws banning the use of Russian in all spheres of both state and private life.

Political leaders from various countries, representing the current ruling class in Ukraine—such as Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, Friedrich Merz, and Olaf Scholz—have largely ignored this reality. This is an example of how imperialist powers allow fascist tendencies to grow unchecked.

Question: Could you elaborate on the fascist tendencies present in Japan today?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: Absolutely. The Japanese invasion caused immense suffering for the Chinese people, yet China has extended a hand of friendship to Japan. Despite this, the behavior of the Japanese government and certain extremist elements on August 15—the 80th anniversary of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese aggression—reveals persistent fascist tendencies within Japanese society.

On that day, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made a ceremonial offering at the Yasukuni Shrine, which directly honors Japan’s wartime militarism and invasion of China. According to Japan’s Kyodo News Agency, this was done “in a move aimed at appeasing his party’s conservative support base.” Japanese Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato also visited the shrine, marking the first such visit by cabinet ministers since Ishiba came to power. Former Economy and Defense Ministers Sane Takaichi and Takayuki Kobayashi were also present.

Beyond individual politicians, Japanese right-wing groups reportedly gathered in large numbers to celebrate the emperor’s invasion of China. Vehicles with barricades and banners lined the streets, creating a striking militaristic image, as noted even by psychiatrists.

Newspaper reports also highlighted right-wing activists outside Kudanshita Station near the Yasukuni Shrine, displaying anti-Chinese signs and waiting for politicians to arrive. Some wore uniforms reminiscent of the former Imperial Japanese Army or kamikaze pilots, while others held nationalist slogans, underscoring the aggressive attitudes still present in Japanese society. The participation of several right-wing regional lawmakers further intensified the seriousness of the situation.

Question: Why can’t this be dismissed as merely the extremist behavior of a small minority of Japan’s far-right groups?

Dr. Wasantha Bandara: This is clearly not a matter of a few right-wing extremists acting irrationally. The Japanese Empire’s Unit 731 committed extraordinarily inhumane acts against the Chinese people on Chinese soil, conducting research on biological weapons specifically targeting civilians.

The only surviving member of Unit 731 today is Hideo Shimizu. In March 1945, not yet 15 years old, he was sent to the Japanese military camp in Harbin, China, as one of the last teenage recruits of Unit 731. In 2024, Shimizu publicly recounted his experiences in Harbin. According to him, on August 12, 1945, he was ordered to transport explosives and destroy evidence of Unit 731’s crimes before the retreat. By nightfall on August 14, he fled China with the defeated Japanese forces.

During his more than four months at Unit 731, Shimizu witnessed rows of formaldehyde-filled jars containing fetuses, infants, human hands, and other organs. “We unleashed a great atrocity on the Chinese people. We dissected them alive,” he confessed. Seventy-nine years later, in 2024, at age 94, Shimizu returned to Harbin—his first trip abroad and his first return to China since World War II—to publicly apologize to the Chinese people.

Japanese authorities tried to prevent Hideo Shimizu and others from establishing a museum to commemorate the crimes committed by the Japanese imperial army in China. Eventually, the museum was allowed to display the artifacts—but without explanatory information boards. Shimizu reflected, “Is my apology enough? Can everything be undone with just my apology?”

I echo this concern. The emerging fascism in the world today cannot be countered with mere emotional gestures. The dignity of humanity can only be safeguarded by confronting history. Only by learning the lessons of the past can we build a future free from repetition of its mistakes. Defeating the resurgence of fascism must be at the top of our political agenda. Indeed, the fundamental precondition for preventing a Third World War is the ideological defeat of neo-fascism.

Conversation Transcript: Jeewantha Jayatissa

Dr. Wasantha Bandara, the General Secretary of the Patriotic National Movement, is a dentist by profession. He started his political career as an activist in the student wing of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka. He was also an activist in the Medical Students' Union. During the 80s, when the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( People’s Liberation Front) was engaged in underground politics, he was closely associated with JVP founder Rohana Wijeweera. He has completed the Australian Diploma in Financial Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management (ICASL), Postgraduate Diploma in Health Services Management (Massey University NZ), Postgraduate Diploma in Quality Management (Quality Council NZ) and Diploma in Private Management (CPM-UK).