Date of letter:1993-02-06
Address of author:Qujiang County, Guangxi Province
Date of event:1944
Location of event:Shaoyang County, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province
Name of author:Yao Zuoxiang
Name(s) of victim(s):Yao Cisong (Yao Zuoxiang’s uncle), Ting Gu (Yao’s townsman), etc.
Type of atrocity:Other Massacres, Slave Laborers, Rapes（OM, SL, RA)
Other details:In 1944, Shaoyang County, Hunan, about twenty people were taken by Japanese and died. Yao Zuoxiang’s uncle Yao Cisong was conscripted to be a porter, who was pushed into a puddle on the way. Luckily he was rescued by local farmers. A woman named Tinggu in his hometown was raped by Japanese. Her son was named Wang Yongfa.
Lawyer Tong Zeng,
I’ve received your reply dated December 13 and learned some details from it. I am very excited now. I think that as it’s been 48 years since Japan’s failure of Japan’s war of aggression against China, the Chinese people’s claim for damage compensation should win deep sympathy of the Japanese government and will be compensated as soon as possible. Apart from active support of non-governmental organizations (practical promotion work instead of publicity), governmental organizations need to urge the Japanese government in a favorable, moderate and appropriate way to attach great importance to the compensation issue and take practical measures to pay the compensation. I also suggest that a national non-governmental organization Claim for Damage Compensation of Chinese Victims during Japan’s war of aggression against China should be established to solemnly negotiate with the Japanese government, make relevant practical requests and carry out work under the instructions of the Chinese government. Thus, we have unified leadership, policies and objectives regarding damage compensation.
I don’t know if the above suggestions are feasible or not, but they are offered for your reference.
In addition, I know about a little-known tragedy that took place in Banqiao, Shaoyang (now suburb of Shaoyang), Hunan around the autumn harvest in lunar August 1994 (or lunar May or June in 1945) just before the failure of Japan’s war of aggression against China. About 20 (The specific number may differ) people who were captured by the Japanese army as slave labor were held in a barn and suffocated to death. None of them survived. You may contact the government of Banqiao Village in the suburb of Shaoyang, Hunan and ask them to investigate and gather proof.
Another thing is that my granduncle Yao Cisong (studied law abroad in Japan in his early years) was captured by the Japanese army to carry supplies for them in the autumn of 1944. As he was weak due to old age, a Japanese soldier pushed him into a pond. Luckily, he was later found and saved by a local farmer.
The third thing is I heard that a daughter-in-law called Wang Tinggu who lived near my hometown was raped by the invading Japanese soldiers and that her son, Wang Qiufa, is still alive and lives at Zhuankuang Production Team, Heye Village, Jilong in the suburb of Shaoyang, Hunan.
I believe there are many similar events about the suffering of the Chinese people across the country. Since the Opium War that marked British imperialist’s invasion of China, the Chinese people had greatly suffered from the violation of other powerful countries due to the corruption and incompetence of the then government. After the victory of the 8-year anti-Japanese war and the surrender of Japanese imperialists, we exempted Japan from compensation for long-term consideration. But, under no circumstances shall the losses caused to numerous Chinese people be written off, or it will have a profound negative impact on the invaders.
Therefore, I think competent government departments shall take the favorable opportunity to support the establishment of relevant non-government organizations and present a package of civil compensation requests to the Japanese government in a reasonable, favorale and moderate way. This will fully reflect the self-esteem and strength of the Chinese people, further enhanceing China’s leadership in the international community and the cosequent positive impact and send a solemn warning to some capitalist powers that are engaged in conspiracy about Hong Kong and Taiwan issues-the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Nation and the Chinese people shall not be bullied.
The above suggestions are for your reference.
Best regards,
Address: Yao Ping, Department of Public Management, Shaoguan Iron and Steel Plant, Qujiang, Guangdong
Yao Zuoxiang
June 2, 1993
