Date of letter:1992-10-22（date on envelope）
Address of author:Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Date of event:1933, Others
Location of event:Kailu County, Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; Fuxin City, Liaoning Province; Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province
Name of author:Li Guojun
Name(s) of victim(s):Li Guojun’s grandmother and aunt, Li Wanyou (Li Guojun’s father)
Type of atrocity:Biological/Chemical Warfare, Slave Laborers(BC, SL)
Other details:In August 1933, the Japanese army cast Yersinia pestis in my hometown Kailu County, Inner Mongolia, causing the death of my grandmother and second aunt. My father Li Wanyou was forced into labor twice and for six years in total, digging coal in Fuxin City, Liaoning Province and Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province respectively, and fortunately survived. Now we claim compensation from Japan.
Respected Comrade Tong Zeng:
Hello, I suppose you must be very busy in your work.
Please forgive me for taking the liberty to write a letter to you. Very early I have learned of the news about demanding civilian war compensation from the Japanese government by the Chinese private sector, (but) I knew nothing about the details and the latest progress, nor do I know how it’s initiated. After reading an article on the Reader’s Digest, I have the opportunity to learn about the process of this matter, in particular I learned that you searched high and low, and made extraordinarily painstaking efforts for this matter, which spontaneously stirred up my respect and admiration for you.
You are a Chinese with character and mettle. If all the new generation of youths and new generation of intellectuals in our nation are like you, then we won’t have to worry about our motherland’s prosperity and strength, and naturally the Chinese people will never be bullied by imperialism, our country will surely stand firm among the nations of the world.
My native place is in Shandong, in the late Qing Dynasty we moved to Sishijiazi, Harqin Banner, Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia. In 1931, my family moved to Halamaodu, Kailu in Inner Mongolia. In August 1933, the Japanese Army spread plague bacteria there, my grandmother and second aunt died of plague infection, the first household in Xiaojieji. Led by my grandfather, my father took seven people of the whole family to leave Kailu and begged our way back to Sishijiazi, Harqin Banner. All our belongings in Kailu were abandoned, more than 60 domesticated animals including 25 donkeys, and 15 pigs were all left behind.
My father LI Wanyou was captured twice by the Japanese invaders to Fuxin and Mishan in Jixi, Heilongjiang Province, and forced to work as coal-digging miner. Life in the six year long forced labor period was extremely miserable; it was indeed a narrow escape from death. Fortunately, he was still healthy and alive today.
Whenever talking about the Japanese invaders, my father, our whole family would gnash our teeth in hatred. Although China and Japan have established friendly relationship, till today the Japanese had made not even once satisfactory apology, which is unacceptable for us. For this purpose, I want to ask you for help, to demand compensation from the Japanese government, and I’m willing to work whole-heartedly for this matter, I can do anything to help.
As a youth of the new age, I was promoted to officer rank in the army, and now I work at the Department of the People’s Armed Force. Each time when there’s a national defense education session, I would feel deeply shaken in mental awareness. We should righteously demand war compensation from the Japanese government with self confidence, I sincerely hope that with efforts from you and your comrades, we can accomplish civilian compensation, so as to better let the Japanese authority understand our nation’s old maxim: The remembrance of the past is the teacher of the future.
Now, the Japanese Emperor will soon visit China, I wish to join the name-signing petition to demand compensation.
Regards
Wish you and your comrades all the best
Looking forward to receiving your reply letter.
Li Guojun
Address: Hongshan District Department of the People’s Armed Force,
Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia
Postal code: 024000
