Date of Letter:1993-08-22
Address of Author:Yuanshi County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
Date of Event:1944-09-09（lunar calendar）
Location of Event:Yuanshi County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
Name of Author:Li Shuyin
Name(s) of victim(s):Li Qiu (Li Shuyin’s father)
Type of atrocity:Slave Laborers (SL)
Other Details:”On September 9, 1944 (lunar calendar), LI Qiu was taken away by force to work as a slave laborer in Japan. Other villagers were taken away with him, too, including NIU Dani, LI Lianlian, and HE Zengchang. No news has been heard about him since then. The letter is stamped with seal of village committee.”
Compensation Claim
LI Qiu, male, 88 years old this year, a resident of Dongnan Village, Nanzuo Town, Yuanshi County, Hebei Province.
In the afternoon of September 9,1944 (lunar calendar), my father, LI Qiu, was forcibly taken by a squad led by YUAN Xiugeng, a traitor working for the Nanzuo puppet government, to work as a slave laborer in Japan. He then was held captive in Yuanshi County with other slave laborers. He was 38 years old. Other villagers taken away with him, included Niu Dani, Li Lianlian, and He Zengchang. After my father was taken away, my family sold real properties and tried every possible way to plead for mercy and payoff for his return. But we did not even get to meet him for one last time. 50 years have passed, and we still do not know if he is alive or not. All we know is that he was taken to Japan to be a slave laborer.
After my father Li Qiu was taken away, we five siblings, from 4 to 16 years old, did not know what to do but cry with mother. My mother, a woman in the old Chinese society, without workers except us kids, had to let the land lay barren. Life was extremely difficult. Although she sold some of our possessions, it was difficult to feed the family. My mother was badly sick due to all the strains and stresses, yet she could not afford medical treatments. So she died young. In 1946, I joined the Eighth Route Army and later got injured in one of the battles. Thanks to supports from the Party and the People’s Government, I have been able to maintain my livelihood.
After the new China was founded, we tried our best to find traces of my father. But since Japan and China had no diplomatic relations, we were unable to find a thing about him. We don’t know if he is alive or not to this date.
In view of the above, we are hereby demanding a compensation of 20 thousand U.S. dollars from Japan.
Claimer: Li Shuyin, son of Li Qiu
08/22/1993
Village Committee of Dongnan Village, Nanzuo Town, Yuanshi County (seal)
8/24/1993
