Japanese Court Rejects War Slave's Compensation Request

Home>>China

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, January 16, 2003

Japanese Court Rejects War Slave's Compensation Request

Kyoto Local Court Wednesday rejected the compensation request of Liu Zonggen, a Chinese victim enslaved by a Japanese corporation during the Word War II, making the first ruling on Liu's action.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Kyoto Local Court Wednesday rejected the compensation request of Liu Zonggen, a Chinese victim enslaved by a Japanese corporation during the Word War II, making the first ruling on Liu's action.

The court found that the Japanese Government and its corporation did act illegally, reported Xinhua News Agency, but said the request for compensation fell outside the 20-year time limit under Japanese Civil Law.

The plaintiff decided to appeal to the Superior Court after the ruling was announced.

Liu and five others lodged their lawsuit in August 1998, demanding the Japanese Government and its corporation apologize and pay 132 million Japanese yen (US$1.06 million) in compensation.

Liu, a native of Huojia County in Central China's Henan Province, was forcibly taken to Japan from China in 1944 and made to work at a mine in Central Japan's Kyoto along with 200 other young Chinese labourers.

They received very poor treatment from the company, which concealed the news that Japan had lost the war, according to Liu.

Liu and his fellow survivors - 14 of the 200 have died - went back to China in a US ship at the end of 1945. Most of them had been injured during their slave labour.

In their fight for justice and to highlight their suffering the survivors brought a case against the Japanese Government and its corporation in the Japanese courts. Liu has gone to Japan to attend hearings five times. The Kyoto Local Court gave its first ruling finally Wednesday.

When Liu, already in his 70s, was interviewed at the airport leaving Beijing for Japan, he said: "We are old now and we don't want the true history to disappear with our deaths. There must be an answer," reported the Beijing Morning Post.

Liu and his case have caused shockwaves in Japan. A special support association has continued to collect money from Japanese people to pay the expenses of Liu and his Chinese lawyers.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Jiang, Bush Talk over Phone on DPRK Nuclear Issue ( 9 Messages)

China Indignant over PM Koizumi's Shrine Visit ( 7 Messages)

Thousands Protest in Los Angeles against US War against Iraq ( 2 Messages)

China's Vehicle Output Ranks World Fifth ( 2 Messages)

Reflector Installed on 'Shenzhou IV', Measurement Accuracy Greatly Raised ( 2 Messages)