Date of letter:April 15, 1996
Address of author:Xushui County, Baoding City, Hebei Province
Date of event:August 29, 1944
Location of event:Xushui County, Baoding City, Hebei Province
Name of author:Wang Chizi, Wang Hongchi
Name(s) of victim(s):Wang Xiaoshen (Wang Chizi’s elder brother), Wang Hongzhang (Wang Hongchi’s elder brother)
Type of atrocity:Others (OT)
Other details:On August 29, 1944 of the lunar calendar, when Wang Xiaoshen and Wang Hongzhang were working in the field, they were caught by Japanese invaders and tortured. Until now nothing has been heard about them.
April 15, 1996
Dear Mr. SATO Kakyo, Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in China,
Please pass it on to the Japanese Government.
Subject: Reparation claim against Japan from the families of civil victims.
Plaintiff: Wang Chizi, now 62 years old, from Gangou Village, Cuizhuang Town, Xushui County,
Hebei Province, acts on behalf of the 18 immediate families.
Since Wang Chizi is unable to execute the plaintiff’s obligation, his nephews Wang Yanger and Wang Gouzi are entitled to represent him.
Defendant: the Japanese Government.
Cause of action: On August 29th, 1944 of the lunar calendar, The Japanese army besieged Cuizhuang Township, arrested villagers, including plaintiff’s older brother Wang Xiaoshen who was farming in the field, and locked them in the dungeon of the Japanese military camp in Xuishui Station. The villagers were then transferred to Shijiazhuang South Japanese Military Camp and were tortured and humiliated. It has been 52 years since then without any clue whether he is still alive or not. My brother was 23 years old that year.
Jurisdiction: plaintiff’s older brother Wang Xiaoshen was a farmer and an indispensable workforce of the family. After he was arrested by the Japanese army, the family had no labor force and no children to sustain their living. Although my sister-in-law looked forward to her husband coming back, she had to get remarried, causing a broken family in tragedy. The Japanese army captured farmers without any reason and maltreated them inhumanely, which violated the International Law and Laws of Warfare. They shall assume full liability and pay due reparations. The plaintiff’s older brother Wang Xiaoshen was arrested and has been missing ever since. We request Japan to compensate 50,000 US dollars.
Attachment: Testifier: Wang Heizi
Testifier: Wang Hongsi, 73 years old, a farmer of Gangou Village
Hereby I testify that I saw with my own eyes that the Japanese army captured Wang Xiaoshen of my village in the morning of 29th August 1944 of the lunar calendar.
Sincerely,
The family of the Chinese civil victim: Wang Chizi
Gangou Village, Cuizhuang Town, Xushui County,
Hebei Province
April 15, 1996
Dear Mr. SATO Kakyo, Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in China,
Please pass it on to the Japanese Government.
Subject: Reparation claim against Japan from the families of civil victims.
Plaintiff: Wang Hongchi, now 70 years old, a farmer from Gangou Village, Cuizhuang Town, Xushui County, Hebei Province, acts on behalf of the 15 immediate families. Since Wang Hongchi is unable to execute the plaintiff’s obligation. His younger brother Wand Daji, nephews Wang Shuqi and Wang Shuqun, grandsons Wang Kai, Wang Yi, Wang Bing and Wang Dongyan, are fully entitled to represent him.
Defendant: the Japanese Government.
Cause of action: On August 29th, 1944 of the lunar calendar, The Japanese army besieged the villages of Cuizhuang Township, arrested villagers, including plaintiff’s older brother Wang Hongzhang who was farming in the field, and locked them in the dungeon of the Japanese military camp in Xuishui Station. The villagers were then transferred to Shijiazhuang South Japanese Military Camp and were tortured and humiliated. It has been 52 years since then without any clue whether he is still alive or not. My brother was 21 years old that year.
Jurisdiction: Plaintiff’s older brother Wang Hongzhang was an indispensable workforce of the family. After the Japanese army arrested him, the family had no labor force to sustain their living. My sister-in-law was hopeless in getting her husband back, so she left the only daughter behind and got remarried, causing a broken family in tragedy. The Japanese army captured farmers without any reason and maltreated them inhumanely, which violated the International Law and Laws of Warfare. They shall assume full liability and pay due reparations. The plaintiff’s older brother Wang Hongzhang was arrested and has been missing ever since. We request Japan to compensate 50,000 US dollars.
Attachment 1. Testifier: Wang Chouzi
2. Testifier Wang Yunlu, male, 75 years old, a farmer of Gangou Village
Hereby I testify that I saw with my own eyes that the Japanese army captured Wang Hongzhang of my village in the morning of 29th August 1944 of the lunar calendar.
Sincerely,
The family of the Chinese civil victim: Wang Hongchi
Gangou Village, Cuizhuang Town, Xushui County, Hebei Province
