Japan's Honesty in Solving Gas Leak Case Questioned

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 12, 2003

Japan's Honesty in Solving Gas Leak Case Questioned

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In response to the accident of mustard gas leak in Qiqihar City on August 4, the Japanese government recently resorted to a new approach doling out 100 million Japanese Yen as a fund for handling the accident, and for "sympathizing" the victims and the family suffering casualty in the incident.

The Japanese attitude, turning a deaf ear to compensation claimed by Chinese sufferers but offering a "sympathetic giving", arouses much suspicion among Chinese people about its honesty in solving the issue, not to mention whether the amount is suitable or not. "Sympathetic giving", in the literal sense, is a goodwill remedy out of moral consideration, while "compensation" is a legal obligation that shall be fulfilled. The latter is not only enforceable within the bounds of law, but also signifies the scrutiny into legal liability for the Japanese aggressive war against China and problems left over by the war. Cautiously avoiding the use of "compensation" is by no means a senseless play on word, but a deliberate escape from the scrutiny into responsibilities for the war kindled by the accident.

On top of the accident, a series of issues, including the long lasting yet unresolved lawsuits of forced Chinese laborers and wartime comfort women and germ-warfare during World War II, successive visits by Japanese senior officials to Yasukuni Shrine regardless of opposition from the people of China and Asian countries, as well as the resurgence of the Japanese right-wing militarists, have cast light the actual intention on the Japanese side to refuse to admit and even deliberately evade the war responsibilities.

It is said that quite a few Japanese feel furious at being pestered by the Chinese demanding apology for the war crimes and Yasukuni Shrine issue. Leaving aside the different judgments on the fury of the Chinese and Japanese sides, it betrays at least that the Japanese side is highly sensitive to the scrutiny into the war responsibilities. As to the word of "compensation", both sides are highly sensitive. With reference to responsibilities for the Japanese aggressive war against China and issues left over by the war, the Japanese side intends to shirk, while its Chinese counterpart insists on investigation. Confronted with such an uncompromising antagonism it is doomed to failure if the Japanese side attempted to smooth it over merely by using the expression "sympathetic giving".

The Beijing Youth Daily once published an editorial titled "Accident of mustard gas leak, scar left by the history" on August 13. To wind up, the editorial "hopes that the compensation seeking process of the Chinese victims won't experience too many difficulties and setbacks". But now it turns out that the tortuous experience has just begun, as indicated from the attitude on the Japanese side.

Mrs. Wang Xuan, who has become world-noted but also physically and mentally exhausted for helping with the litigation of Chinese victims over the Japanese germ-warfare, pointed out in an interview that, the accident of mustard gas leak was a post-war accident, therefore it was untenable that the Japanese side used the excuse of China giving up demanding war reparation to refuse compensation. In the meantime, Mrs. Wang Xuan suggested "indulging in less idle talks and doing more practical things for a lawsuit." "The most powerful weapon for claiming compensation or winning a lawsuit is evidence, therefore investigation should be done in advance." Although the accident of mustard gas leak is much more self-evident than the germ-warfare case, the principle she produced is still applicable. She, with her own experience, hinted that in arduous process in future every step should be taken in a down-to-earth manner.

By PD Online Staff Zhu Lizhen

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