Date of Letter:1995-04-22
Address of Author:Huoshan County, Liuan City, Anhui Province
Date of Event:1938-08
Location of Event:Huoshan County, Luan City, Anhui Province
Name of Author:Wang Zecheng
Name(s) of victim(s):Wang Zecheng and his grandmother and mother
Type of atrocity:Others, Murders (OT, MU)
Other Details:In August 1938, Wang Zecheng was cut at his neck by Japanese invaders and got injuried. His grandmother and mother were killed, the properties were robbed and the houses were burnt. A photo of the scar is enclosed in the letter. Remarks: the photo mentioned in the letter has been lost.
Comrade Tong,
How are you?
Wish you good health. I am really happy to hear from you. I am grateful to you for being vocal for the grievance and for seeking justice for victims like us, with no fear of authority and violence.
This time, I have written an pleading and hope that you could represent for me.
There are a lot of victims in Huoshan county. I was only 12 at that time and didn’t know everything about the actual situation. It is hard to investigate most of the victims since some families were killed entirely. While some survived but they fled and lost contact with us now. It is a pity that I cannot collect their information. I hereby report to you what I know.
Hope you could provide more help in the future; your gratitude and great kindness will be carved in our heart and never be forgotten. A letter is this short paper would be impossible to carrymy deep appreciation to you. .
Highly Respectful, Your,
Wang Zecheng
April 22nd, 1995
Attached are two copies of appeal to the Japanese Government and a photo of a bayonet scar as evidence
Please submit them to the Japanese Embassy.
Pleading Cause: the murder during Japan’s aggression against China
Defendant: the Japanese Government
Plaintiff: Wang Zecheng, male, 70 years old, living in Dahuaping Village, Dahuaping Town, Huoshan County, Anhui Province, China, a former officer of Dahuaping Supply and Marketing Cooperative, who was born in Chengguan Town, Huoshan, was transferred to Dahuaping in 1956, and retired in 1982.
I cannot resist my tears when I have to bring back my childhood memory. My entire family (my grandmother, mother and I) was butchered by the Japanese army:
I was born in 1926, the same year when my father died of illness on December 23rd. I lived with my mother and grandmother who earned a living by doing small business; In July 1938, the Japanese invaders attacked Huoshan from Hefei via Liuan. Most of the residents fled into the mountain areas. But we and our neighbors Hu Zhitian couple were unable to escape due to old age and illness. We hid in hey stacks during the day. Unfortunately, the Japanese army entered the town that night and looted all the good on the shelves of our home. The next day, a Japanese soldier came to my home, holding a bayonet and forced me to go out with him (I was only 12 at that time). My mother (46) followed me out for a while so did my grandmother (74). We stopped at the yard of * Union west of the town. The soldier said something to an officer, then dragged me up on to the top of the city wall and ordered me to sit down. Immediately my neck was stabbed with splashing blood as I bow down. My mother was at the scene and jump over to protect me with screaming crying.She was killed with knife right away. My grandmother cried for help next and was also killed with knife next. Very late at that night, I wake up gradually and crawled with remaining breath to my neighbor Hu Zhitian’s house. Seeing my face was full of blood, my families were murdered, my house was burnt and I became homeless, the Hu Zhitian couple adopted me. Life was hard then; I survived by selling fried dough sticks. I took care of the Hu Zhitian couple’s later life and buried them when they passed away.
My whole family was ruthlessly murdered by the Japanese, and only I survived but with life-long disability. How can I forget this bloody crime…?
I think the Japanese Government should treat poor civilians in the neighboring county with humanity, pay the damage to those victims, and make up for the evil things they have done during their invasion to China, for the purpose to cultivate the friendship between the two nations and set peace in heart for the victims and all the Chinese people.
Present to
The Japanese Embassy in China
Tokyo Court, Japan
Plaintiff: Wang Zecheng
April 22nd, 1995
