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Comrade Tong Zeng:
Hello!

You must be very busy in work. I’m afraid my letter may add extra mental burden to your busy workload, please forgive me. I read the article entitled “History Has Not Forgotten——An Account of Chinese Claim for Damage Compensation from Japan” on the October issue of monthly magazine ‘Readers Digest’ in 1992, I feel greatly excited, and could not fall asleep for a long time. Things happened 40 plus years ago were long buried in my heart. I’m an ordinary worker, my education is poor, let alone knowledge on international law, there is no way to air my grievances. Today Comrade Tong Zeng upheld justice, and spoke for us on behalf of thousands and millions of victims, I raise my hands to express welcome, and support this action. I am one of the persecuted victims during the Japanese invasion, now let me recollect history that I can remember and mail it to you as one of the numerous documents to support the compensation claim toward Japan. The following is the process of my capture and sending to Japan to work as laborer:

My name is Ren Shichen, now 70 (former name in Japan Ren Shijia), a retired worker of Tianjin Album Factory, my native place is Guolongzhuang, Wencheng Commune, Chengxi, Jing County, Hebei Province. In July 1944 I was captured by the Japanese Army to be sent to the county town and received torture in the Investigation Brigade, some punishment methods included cramming chili pepper water, pressing one’s legs with wooden sticks, upside down hanging and electrification, stabbing, severe torture etc. Anyone captured was invariably tortured and beaten, and had no way to escape such cruel torture, the number of victims was innumerable. The more than one dozen captured people were detained in a 10sqm small room, the ground was too dirty to sleep on, we could only crouch or stand together, the time was summer, and it was smelly and the air was not breathable, we felt tired and hungry, it was indeed intolerable. Six to seven days later, they transferred us to county prison, after a few more days they tied us together with rope, and escorted us to Tanggu, which was a desolate place close to the river, there’s nothing there, except a few board houses constructed with wooden boards, in which there were long wooden board bunk, we along with comrades captured from other cities and counties lived in these wooden board houses. We were starved when being captivated here, each day we ate substituted sand, bitter and spicy steamed corn bun, not even salty water was available, in order to find water to drink, we often received beating with sticks. Everyone was given a regenerated cotton thread blanket and a set of green unlined clothing, what’s disheartening is that after wearing in the daytime, this set of clothing would have to be returned in the night, meaning everyone had to sleep on the bare board with naked body. In such an environment, since no one had fixed clothing, and had to wear whatever was given, lice multiplied, it was hard not to develop infectious disease. Falling ill was a mortal incident, for the moment someone moaned, he would be dragged to the so-called ward and beaten to death with sticks in a few minutes, the bodies were buried naked on the salty wetland. No one knew how many died. In the night during sleep, one had to shout “report” before going to the toilet, otherwise if you moved you would be beaten with wood stick. I’m a survivor of illness. When I was ill others kept it a secret, when boarding the ship others dragged and pulled me onboard, in this way we together embarked on the journey to Japan.

At that time the weather was not very cold, after about six or seven days and nights we arrived at Moji, Shimonoseki in Japan, then we were transferred to Otsuji Coal Mine in Katsuki-cho, Nakama, Fukuoka Prefecture, to work as coal-diggers. On the ship dead people were directly tossed into the sea, no one was sure how many died, I only saw one. In Japan, we lived in wooden board house, there were toilets on both ends. Each day we worked three shifts, there was no holiday, during any spare time after work; we walked around within this compound. The door was guarded by a sentinel, we were not allowed to go out, in fact, and this was prisoner’s life. This residence was called “Xingyaliao”, the exact address was unknown, it was not far away from the coal mine. Here, we were still starved. Each day we ate red wheat flour mixed with bean cake and rice bun, plus seaweed soup. We often worked overtime, for each overtime work everyone was given two small triangle rice balls, which was unexpectedly polished rice. When digging coal under the mine, we were often beaten; I can still remember one beating very clearly. Once when loading coal, I loaded rocks by mistake, it was discovered by the foreman, who came up and smashed the rock onto my right foot, and he still beat me with his iron stick, I had to work despite the bleeding foot, today the scar on my right foot was still visible Nevertheless, most of the Japanese workers who worked with us were friendly. They told us at what time the Team Leader (pronounced as Taijo in Japanese) would come, and at what other time he would not come, they asked us to take a rest for a while. It was a totally different experience to dig coal in the underground mine, in most cases one could not stand erect, working in a three or four chi high cave was a punishing job, for one could not stand erect, and could only shovel coal into iron trolley with bent waist or in kneeling position, when we returned from work, sweat trickled down, the waist felt sore, and legs were painful, it was really a hard and tiring chore. We spent more than one year under such prison laborer condition until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War came when we were sent back to Tianjin. From capture in 1944 till November 1945 when we returned, we spent as long as 16 months of miserable life. The following is a list of comrades being captured along with myself, those are the ones whose name I can remember:

Guo Haifeng　Tangzhuang, North, Jing County, Hebei Province
Xiang Dashan　Dachezhuang, North, Jing County, Hebei Province (dead)
Zhang Yaozhou　Chenxingzhuang, Jing County, Hebei Province
Zhou Shikuan　 Chenxingzhuang, Northeast, Jing County, Hebei Province
Cao Junfeng　Yuanxiaowang, Northeast, Jing County, Hebei Province
Xue Yunqi　Lixiangtun, Northeast, Jing County, Hebei Province (dead)
Wu Zhenyun　Guanzhuang, Northeast, Jing County, Hebei Province　Then team leader
Zhu Hongsen　Caogao Village, Northwest, Jing County, Hebei Province (dead), community doctor
Zhang Ligen　Pizhuang Village, West Town, Jing County, Hebei Province (dead)
Miao Ruixiang　Anling, Wuxiao County, Hebei Province
Xing Jun’e　Haojiamiao, Fucheng County, Hebei Province
Zhao Wenyuan　Handan Area, Hebei Province (previously district cadre)

There are many others, but I’m unable to recollect their names, I only write down what I can remember. That’s all for this time.

Regards
Yours faithfully

Victim: Ren Shichen
October 22, 1992 in tianjin