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Comrade Tong Zeng:
In September 1995, I wrote a paper entitled “Indictment Against Japan by Chinese Civilian Victims Demanding Compensation from the Japanese Government.” This document was mailed to the Japanese Embassy in China with a request to forward to the Japanese Government. At the same time, a copy of this document was mailed to you. Due to my illness, it was not proof-read properly, and the year 1939 was inadvertently typed as 1938. I hereby send you a corrected copy to replace the one previously sent.

Regards
Yours Faithfully!

Bu Xingchun
95.10.15

Indictment Against Japan by Chinese Civilian Victims Demanding Compensation from the Japanese Government

[Plaintiff]: Bu Xingchun, male, citizen of the People’s Republic of China, age 70, Han nationality, native of Mengzi County, Yunnan Province, China, now residing in the Mengzi County CPPCC, Yunnan Province. Postal code: 661100.
Bu Xingchun represents twelve members of the Bu family.
If and when Bu Xingchun is unable to perform the duty as plaintiff, Bu Chuanzhi, Bu Chuanyi, Bu Chuanyong, and Bu Chuanwu (father-son relation) are authorized to act as plenipotentiary deputy.
[Defendant]: The Japanese Government
[Case details]: During the WWII when Japan invaded China, at 15:50, April 13, 1939, the Japanese military aircrafts bombed Mengzi, the victim’s family received bombing by the Japanese aircrafts, resulting in broken family, death of family members, and heavy loss of property, I demand the defendant to compensate the death of three persons and damages to the house and properties.
[Facts and reasons]: The plaintiff Bu Xingchun lived in the back at 19 Wumiao Street, Mengzi County, a defenseless civilian zone in 1939. His family included 5 people: Father, mother, elder brother, younger sister, and himself. His house included 3 rooms in the main building, which were south-facing, 6 bedrooms on both sides (three were east-facing, and three were west-facing), plus three lounge rooms, one kitchen, and one storage room. The plaintiff’s living area covered a total of 238 sqm. The front yard was Chen Yuhua’s home, adjacent to Pu Minsheng’s home in the left, Gong Zuohua’s house was right next door.

On April 13, 1939, a group of fifteen Japanese aircrafts and another group of four Japanese aircrafts flew over Mengzi County at 15:45 and 16:23 respectively. They dived and dropped bombs. Seeing there was no air defense facility, they flew lower to drop bombs, and sprayed the residents with machine gun fire. The county government office, telegram bureau, railway station, education bureau, the provincial Mengzi High School, Wenlan Primary School, Dashu Street, Wumiao Street, Xinpaifang, West Avenue, Yueyatang, and East Gate, North Gate Vegetable Field……each was hit by 1 to 4 bombs. The Japanese aircrafts also dropped incendiary bombs at Mupaifang to burn down over 20 civilian residences and shop fronts. The Japanese aircrafts dropped more than 100 bombs, which destroyed 80-90 houses, and killed more than 100 people, wounded over 200.

My home was located in Mengzi County Town., It was a quadrangle, a traditional Chinese house in a courtyard. It was one of the nicer houses in the local area. People called it Huada Mengnei. The main building included three rooms in brick and wood structure with superior decor. The total area of the main building was 72 sqm. East and west side rooms each covered 35 sqm. On both sides of the main hall, one side was kitchen with 12 sqm, another side was storage room also with 12 sqm. The Japanese aircraft’s bombs hit the main hall, and razed the 70 plus sqm main hall to ground, leaving behind a pile of debris. The back enclosure wall and the kitchen on both sides were completely destroyed, the parts connecting the side rooms and the main hall also collapsed. Some of the tiles of the lounge were missing.

My mother and younger sister died on the spot. My elder brother was seriously wounded by the falling bricks with multiple fractures and died the next day after ineffective treatment. All furniture, clothing, jewelry, precious calligraphy and paintings were destroyed. Since then, my family fell into hard times. The total damages are as follows:

I. Three deaths: The plaintiff’s mother Hu Xingru, elder brother Bu Xingshen, younger sister Bu Ruolan. We demand compensation of one hundred and fifty thousand ($150,000) US dollars.

II. House: The main hall includes three rooms totaling 72 sqm, equivalent to eleven thousand ($11,000) US dollars, kitchen and charcoal room and side rooms on both sides on both sides totaled 94 sqm, equivalent to eighty six hundred ($8,600) US dollars. We demand compensation of nineteen thousand and six hundred ($19, 600) US dollars.

III. Damaged clothing, quilt covers, furniture, jewelry, valuable calligraphy and paintings. We demand compensation of twenty three thousand ($23,000) US dollars.

Total loss amounts to one hundred ninety two thousand ($192,600) US dollars. As to the death of my mother, elder brother, and younger sister, they are all the more immeasurable losses. I demand the Japanese government to offer civilian damage compensation.

This war was an invasion waged by Japan, in which the Japanese war criminals carried guns, bayonets and cannons invaded China to commit arson, killing, and looting. The Japanese aircrafts invaded China’s territorial space, and entered the space of our county, bombarded innocent and defenseless civilians on an area without air defense facilities.

On April 23, 1939, the Japanese aircrafts bombed Mengzi. It marked the second bombing of Yunnan Province following the first-time bombing of Kunming in Yunnan Province,. It was also the first-time bombing of a county town in Yunnan Province. All newspapers reported this incidence. The survivors are still alive today, we have sufficient evidence.

Let by-gone by by-gone. Hatred should be eliminated, and friendship should start today. In order to let people of your country deeply understand the severe calamity and wound brought to the Chinese people, and make people of your country deeply understand that no good outcome will result from waging cruel invasion war, we hope your country’s government could assume responsibility for offering compensation to civilian victims of the war crime.
Correspondence address: Yunnan Province Mengzi County CPPCC
Appendix 1: Sketch Floor Plan of House Damage
Appendix 2: Certification Statement of Testifier Chen Yuhua.
Appendix 3: Certification Statement of Testifier Pu Minsheng.
Appendix 4: Certification Statement of Testifier Gong Zuohua.

Regards:
Japanese Government c/a Michihiko Kunihiro Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in China

Chinese civilian victim: Bu Xingchun
Mengzi County, China
September 14, 1995

Appendix 2

My family house shared the same gate with Bu Xingchun’s house. His family lived in the back yard while my family lived in the front yard. The Yang Jiafu’s family lived in the side rooms of our house. (I’m currently working at Yunnan Textile Factory)

In the afternoon of April 13, 1939, the air raid alarm sounded. Our school suspended classes to let students go home for evacuation. Bu Xingchun’s younger sister and I walked home from school together. I put down my schoolbag and followed his younger sister to his home to play. The moment we entered his home, emergency alarm sounded. I left his home and walked to the gate of the central room of my house. I saw Japanese aircrafts in a herringbone formation consisting of three aircrafts as one group approached from the left side of my house’s roof. My elder sister cried enemy aircrafts were coming. My mother pushed us into the house in one shove. Before she was able to enter the house, one loud boom erupted and the house trembled. In an instant my home was engulfed in dust and smoke. All of us collapsed on the ground and wounded. One of my younger sisters was unconscious.

After the alarm stopped, we slowly regained consciousness. We saw doors and windows were knocked wide open and everything in the house was in a mess. It was not until we walked out of the gate that we learned the Japanese bombs landed in the backyard, and Bu Xingchun’s house was leveled to the ground. At that time his mother, second elder brother, and younger sister totaling three persons were all dead. (His second elder brother momentarily recovered, but his injury was too serious and he soon died). One relative of his family who carried a less than half year old baby was shielded by a battered table,. He dug a small hole to let in the air to survive.

This tragic event has deeply imprinted in my mind and will not be forgotten, like all other atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders.

Chen Yuhua
August 25, 1995

Appendix 3

My house was on the left side of Bu Xingchun’s home on Wumiao Street in Mengzi.

On April 13, 1939, the Japanese aircrafts bombed Mengzi. A group of fifteen Japanese aircrafts and another group of four Japanese aircrafts respectively intruded into the space of Mengzi County. They dived and dropped bombs. Seeing there’s no air defense facility, they flew lower to drop bombs, and sprayed the residents with machine gun fire. The main hall of Bu Xingchun’s home was razed to the ground after being hit with a bomb, leaving a pile of tiles. The enclosure wall and kitchen and firewood room were all destroyed. Side rooms near the main hall were all damaged, and the tiles of the lounge were blasted away. His mother and younger sister were killed on the spot. His elder brother was seriously wounded, and died the next day due to pneumonia. The casualty was heavy, which deserve compensation.

Correspondence address: 18 Wumiao Street
Witness Pu Minsheng (seal)

Appendix 4

To Whom It May Concern

At around 4 o’clock in the afternoon of April 13, 1939, 27 aircrafts of the Japanese invaders for the first time bombed Mengzi County. A group of civilian houses were destroyed, and more than 200 innocent residents died or sustained injury. In this air raid, the backyard the main hall of the Comrade Bu Xingchun’s home, which was adjacent to my home in the right, was leveled to ground. The side rooms on both sides partially collapsed. The lounge seriously damaged. Furniture and other household items in the main hall were all gone. Comrade Bu Xingchun’s mother and younger sister were unfortunately killed on the spot. His second elder brother was seriously wounded, and died the next day after ineffective rescue. I was only 9 in that year, after his home was destroyed into debris, I witnessed his mother’s funeral, which was still vividly fresh in my memory even today, as if it only happened yesterday. I hereby give this statement.

Retired cadre of Yunnan Province Earthquake Bureau Gong Zuohua
September 10, 1995 in Kunming

Comrade Gong Zuohua is a retired cadre of our Burea
September 11, 1995
Yunnan Province Earthquake Bureau (Seal)