Date of letter:1995-09-30
Address of author:Beijing City
Date of event:1943-07-23
Location of event:Lingchuan County, Jincheng City, Shanxi Province
Name of author:Wei Haiqing
Name(s) of victim(s):Wei Yuxian(Wei Haiqing’s uncle)
Type of atrocity:Other Massacres(OM)
Other details:An article by Wei Haiqing published in the newspaper was contained in the letter, which says, “On July 23, 1943 when the Japanese raided Shanxi and surrounded my village, people of all ages were gathered at the school yard. 12 young adults at the age of around 30, including my uncle Wei Yuxian, were stabbed to death. That is known as the South Village Massacre. Today we claim for compensation from Japan.
Comrade Tong Zeng:
I am sending you a copy of my article. Please find a way to publish it in other newspapers!
The Japanese imperialism has claimed huge war compensation against the American imperialism.
But the Japanese imperialism hasn’t paid back the blood debt that it owes to the Chinese people, which is inconsistent with the international law. So, please try your utmost to demand civil compensation of 18 million USD from the Japanese Embassy. Alternatively, file a case against the Japanese Government at the International Court of Justice. What’s your opinion about that?
Wish your family all the best at the coming festival!
Sincerely,
Wei Haiqing
September 30, 1995
To Make the Japanese Army Pay Back the Blood Debt
By Wei Haiqing
On July 23, 1943, the invading Japanese army raided Lingchuan, a county in southeast of Shanxi Province, China. Before dawn, the enemy surrounded my hometown Nan Village, Fucheng Town, Second District of Lingchuan County. The cruel Japanese Imperial Army drove the villagers, men, and women, old and young, to the schoolyard of the village. My uncle Wei Yuxian heard gunshots, but didn’t know where to run due to nyctalopia. He was captured and dragged to the schoolyard. The Japanese devils set up machine guns at four sides of the yard picked out over 10 young farmers (including my uncle Wei Yuxian) of about 30 years old from unarmed civilians and began a horrible massacre. A group of Japanese devils rushed into the crowd with gleaming bayonets; 12 innocent young farmers fell down in blood one by one and tragically died under the bayonet. That is the Nan Village Massacre carried out by the Japanese army in the southeast of Shanxi Province.
Today, in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, we shall never forget that the Japanese government launched a brutal war of aggression against China. We shall never forget that the Japanese army carried out brutal raids all over China and we shall never forget that the Japanese devils slaughtered hundreds of thousands of our compatriots. We must demand the Japanese government to repay the blood debt and compensate for all losses to comfort the souls of the deceased.