Date of letter:1993-06-01
Address of author:Quanzhou City, Fujian Province
Date of event:1943-01-23（lunar calendar）
Location of event:Malaysia
Name of author:Wu Jiasheng
Name(s) of victim(s):Wu Jiasheng’s uncle’s family, etc.
Type of atrocity:Other Massacres(OM)
Other details:My uncle lived in Singapore and he fled to Malaysia during Japanese invasion. On January 23rd 1943 on the lunar calendar, the whole family was killed by Japanese, among 102 Chinese victims in total.
Mr. Tong Zeng,
I am Wu Jiasheng, a family member of victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China and Malay Archipelago. I was born in 1934 and lives at No. 02-501, New Zhaohui Staff Village, Licheng, Quanzhou, Fujian. My telephone is (0595) 239102 or 215040.
The facts are described below. During Japan’s war of aggression against China, my uncle’s family lived and made a living by running Fuchang Hotel in Singapore. They often returned to Quanzhou to visit my grandparents and my family and give us money to support us. As my uncle and aunt didn’t have a boy (A family must have a boy by the custom in southern China), my parents gave me to them as their biological child. When Japan invaded the southern countries, my uncle’s family fled from Singapore to Malaysia. On lunar January 23, 1943, my uncle Wu Shitang, aunt Huang Xiulian, sisters Wu Meiyu and Wu Meizhen were all killed by the Japanese soldiers and all of their property was robbed. It’s known that a total of 102 Chinese people were killed on that day. The witnesses are still living. My uncle and aunt were very kind and none of their family members joined any military or political group. They were just ordinary expatriates. It wasn’t until Japan’s surrender that we received the news from the Townsmen Association. By that time, the funeral arrangements had been made and a monument set up for the 102 victims. My parents and I were born in Quanzhou, while my uncle and aunt were born in Xiaxiang Village, Panshanlu in the suburb of Quanzhou. It wasn’t until 1946 that we arranged a funeral for my uncle’s whole family. If my uncle was still alive, I would have been in Singapore to take over his business after the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. My uncle Wu Shitang was born on lunar March 16, 1905 and my aunt on lunar October 2, 1904 and they both died on lunar January 23, 1943. I am responsible for memorizing the three dates. I wrote a total of three letters to the Japanese embassy in Beijing on December 6, 1992, March 12, 1993 and May 25, 1993 respectively, urgently demanding damage compensation from the National Diet of Japan, but I haven’t received any reply yet. Besides, I also wrote a letter to Minister of Foreign Affairs Qian Qichen on May 25, 1993, asking him to help the victims’ family members. Today, I am writing to you to report some information after reading the article entitled History Is Not Forgotten: Records of the Chinese People Demanding Damage Compensation from Japan from Jinhua Daily on June 30, 1992 and also from the issue 10 of Quanzhou Reader’s Digest. According to the article, you are helping the family members of victims with the compensation issue that lasts for nearly 50 years. I’d like to join your signature campaign. (10,000 people have signed their names according to the article). Thank you.
Looking forward to your reply.
Victims’ family member Wu Jiasheng (Personal seal)
June 1, 1993
