Sequence number:s0016
Date of Letter:1992-11-26
Address of Author:Huangshi City, Hubei Province
Date of Event:1939, 1942
Location of Event Daye:County (the present Daye City), Huangshi City, Hubei Province
Name of Author Huang Changheng
Name(s) of victim(s) Huang Yongxie,Huang Qizhu(great grandfather and father of Huang:Changheng)
Type of atrocity:Murders, Others (MU, OT)
Other Details:In 1939, the Japanese troops invaded the village where Huang Changheng resided. Seven of his family members were driven out of their home apart from his great-grandfather who was left there because of his advanced age. The Japanese troops robbed family assets and properties, and stabbed his great-grandfather to death while he was begging to leave some provisions. He wasn’t buried until seven days later since no one dared to go back into the village. In 1942, Huang’s father was robbed by the Japanese and beaten so brutally as to suffer from serious illness.
Mr. Tong,
Today, I read a report about you representing Chinese people to submit a claim against Japan to NPC (National People’s Congress) on Press Digest Issue 647. I believe you and your opinion stand for millions of Chinese people, especially the strong requests and wishes from those who were harmed by Japanese invaders at that time and their descendants. I am expressing my support as one of the offsprings of the people hurt by Japanese invaders.
I am now a cadre of Agricultural-Industrial-Commercial Integrated Head Office of Huangshi City, and my hometown is Huang’an Village, Xifan Township, Daye County, Hubei Province. In 1939, Japanese invaders trampled on my hometown. My grandfather and the whole family, altogether 7 people abandoned the house and escaped to Hengyang City, Hunan Province for refuge, leaving my great grandfather Huang Yongxie, who was over 70 years old at home to watch our house. In the same year of September, the Japanese entered the village and snatched a buffalo, a pig of over 300 jin (1 jin=1/2 kilogram) and other properties of my family. My great grandfather came out to plead and was killed by them in front of my house. The villagers didn’t dare to bury my great grandfather’s body even several days after he was dead. My grandfather Huang Zaishao later learned the miserable news, and was so grieved that he died in 1940 in another locality Hengyang. In 1942, my grandmother brought the whole family back to hometown and the family was ransacked by Japanese. To make a living, my father Huang Qizhu borrowed money and rebuilt the home. During this time, he was also robbed and beat cruelly by Japanese, which later caused his illness. He died of the illness at a young age in 1946. It is such a pity that the family heads of three generations were all harmed and killed by Japanese, let alone the economic loss of our family created by those Japanese invaders.
Now the China-Japan diplomatic relations are normalized, which is for the sake of national interests, but I believe that those harmed people have the right to ask Japanese invaders to pay back their debts. So hereby I represent my whole family to support what you are doing.
Sincerely,
Huang Changheng
May 25th, 1992
Demand for Victim Compensation from Japan
Signature
China Business Herald, August 11 issue
In 1972, China gave up the rights for war compensation against Japan, but China did not give up the rights for victims compensation. On May 23, Legal Daily published an article by a young jurist, Tong Zeng, which elaborates the difference between the two forms of compensation in international law; war compensation is the obligation borne by the defeated country that was the aggressor to compensate for the losses inflicted during the war of aggression. Victims compensation is the obligation borne by the defeated country that violated the code of war and humanitarian principles and committed war crimes against civilians and causing property damages.
After World War II, Poland, France, and the Jewish people all received large sums of victims compensation from Germany because of atrocities committed by the Nazis.
My hometown is Huang’an Village, Xifan Township, Daye County, Hubei Province. In 1939, my family of 7 was driven out of our house by the Japanese invaders. My great grandfather Huang Yongxie stayed behind due to his old age, 73 years old at the time. The Japanese invaders took our buffalo, a pig, all of the food and valuables from us. My great grandfather pleaded with the Japanese to leave him some food, but he was stabbed to death at the courtyard. For 6-7 days, no one in the village dared to take his body for burial.
Facing the barbaric and inhumane crimes committed by the Japanese invaders, we strongly demand that the Japanese government to pay compensation to victims and their families.
The undersigned represent the 28 members of our family:
Head Office of Nong-Gong-Shang Company, Huangshi City, Hubei Province:
Huang Changheng, Wu Qiaozhi, representing 13 family members.
Huang’an Village, Xifan Township Daye County, Hubei Province:
Huang Changzhong, Zhu Hongying, Huang Changwen, Huang Danming, We Ruxin, (representing 15 family members.)
26th November, 1992
Postcode: 435002
Tel: (0714)224396
Address: Nongjiaying Agricultural-Industrial-Commercial Head Office, Huangshi Avenue, Huangshi City
Contact: Huang Changheng
