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Comrade Tong Zeng:
How do you do!
Today I read the article “Non-governmental Claim Tide” about the demand for persecution compensation from Japan by Chinese nationals on Page 6 of Jinhua Daily, which vividly reminded me of the horrible days of destruction 40 years ago. After reading the article, I felt very agitated, for 40 years ago I lived in Heshangqiao Village, which was 5 li away from the Wuyi County, Zhejiang Province. This village had over 240 persons in 67 households, all of them were farmers. One day after the county town was fallen, in order to build a gun turret on the top of the Kuma Mountain, Shuangluting, to resist sudden attack by our anti-Japanese militia and civilians, the Japanese invaders set fire to all houses in the village overnight (our village was located at the foot of Kuma Mountain); three villagers were killed by the fire, including my brother Tang Zigui, He Shangyou, and Jin Aniu. More than 10 women were raped, over 50 villagers (who wanted to take back their own clothing) were injured, and 450 houses were burnt. Countless livestock (cows, goats, chickens, and dogs whose number ran to over 1,000), clothing and furniture were destroyed, converted into currency today the total loss would amount to over RMB 12 million yuan, plus human casualty. It was not until after 1949 that the villagers returned and built some simple houses as shelter. Even today visitors can still indistinctly see the old burnt site. Our village is a most typical village sustaining the damage of “Burn All, Kill All, Loot All” policy of the Japanese invaders in the entire Wuyi area. According to preliminary statistics, hundreds of households were destroyed, over 40 persons were frozen or starved to death, and for the 200 survivors, nearly all became home-to-home beggars. There is no way to settle this account……. Plus 10,000 victim pit in Tonglu Village, living shooting range, hound man-eating ground, Killing ground in Ciling Cave, ghost pit in Xiawangzhai Kuanglifan etc……. Today we should open the book for the dead, and redress their grievance and correct the wrong, so that we can remind others not to know only enjoyment today, and forget the inhuman savages in the past. We should demand damage compensation from Japan, this is a justified demand!

I’m a victim of Heshangqiao Village, back then my family had 8 persons, including my parents, brothers and sisters-in-law. After our home was burnt, my parents were starved to death at Benbao Temple, and my eldest brother was killed; the sister-in-law took their son out of town to go begging, second eldest brother was conscripted by the KMT, and I’m an orphan and herded cattle for others.

After liberation in the 1949, on June 15 I joined the revolution, later I was transferred to the East China Military University Zhejiang Campus. After graduation I was assigned to 183rd Regiment, 61st Division in the 21st Army. In 1952 I took part in the Korean War, and was transferred to the Fourth Bureau of the Second Machine Building Industry Department after returning from Korea. Now I have retired and returned to my hometown Wuyi. There are three persons in my family, and the life is satisfactory.

In response to your call, millions of victims will respond. In the rest of my life, I’m willing to sign my signature and contribute everything for the suffers. If you think there is a use for me as an old soldier, let me contribute my residual heat! This will also bring comfort to the souls of those innocent victims.

Regardless of the outcome, please give me a reply, and please feel free to criticize me in case of any inappropriate words.

Wish all the best
Sincerely yours

Tang Qiangshen
92.6.30
33 Xinxing Road, Wuyi, Zhejiang
Post code 321200