Japanese team to take back remains of soldiers

A three-member Japanese team has arrived here to initiate the formalities for taking back the remains of 11 soldiers killed in the Assam sector of the China-Burma-India theatre of World War II and buried in the war cemetery.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Mrinal Gogoi, when contacted, told The Hindu that the team has been deputed by the Japanese government. Mr. Gogoi said the remains of the Japanese soldiers would be exhumed soon after completion of formalities to be decided in consultation with archaeologists and forensic science experts. The process is scheduled to start on Wednesday morning.

548 graves

Located along the Nabagraha road, the cemetery has 548 graves including that of 486 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War, 24 Chinese and 11 Japanese and two non-war graves while 25 of the burials are unidentified.

The north-east has four cemeteries maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) at Guwahati, Kohima, Digboi and Imphal.

There is another World War II cemetery at Jairampur on the historic Stilwell Road in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.