Date of letter:1992-07-02
Address of author:Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province
Date of event:1942-05, 1944
Location of event:Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province
Name of author:Huang Changming
Name(s) of victim(s):Huang Zenghong (Huang Changming’s father), Huang Changming’s grandmother, Huang Baocui (Huang Changming’s sister), Xianlan (townsman), Chunnai (townsman), Baojin (townsman), Baocai (townsman), Xiaokui’s wife (townsman)
Type of atrocity:Murders, Rapes, Others（MU, RA, OT）
Other details:The Japanese advanced to Yiwu City, Zhejiang in 1942, when my father, grandmother, sister and villagers were savagely treated by the troops. Our family belongings were lost. Some people were brutally killed, some raped or gang-raped. I demand that the Japanese government compensate for whatever losses of my family. I give my support to the claiming process and now contribute RMB 10 to the campaign funds.
Mr. Tong Zeng and Mr. Chen Jian:
First of all, we give you the highest solute!
I recently realized what’s going on after reading the article titled Wave of Claims for Civilian Compensation from Jinhua Daily of June 30, 1992 and got to know about you and your address. I admire your wisdom and courage to launch a campaign about claiming for civilian compensation against Japan. In many villages of Yiwu County, countless people were victimized during the occupation by the Japanese army, with dead bodies piled up all over. The article below describes what I witnessed.
The wave of claim for compensation hasn’t truly arrived because we local people in Yiwu County don’t know about it yet. The people’s voice is needed to really see the arrival of the wave of claim for compensation.
I am sending you RMB 10 yuan as activity funds.
Yours faithfully,
Yiwu, Zhejiang
Retired cadre: Huang XX
July 2, 1992
Demanding Damage Compensation against Japan
In May 1942, the Japanese army invaded XXX Village, Yiwu, Zhejiang. One day, my father, who was on his way back home, carrying harvested wheat, encountered Japanese soldiers who tried to take my father away. My father resisted. The Japanese soldiers beat him with guns to disability (my father has passed away).
In July 1942, the Japanese army was stationed in our village for one day and night. The village men ran away, leaving women and children behind. The women hiding in straw piles were dragged out and raped by Japanese soldiers. Five women were raped by turns. Two of them are dead now.
My grandmother, nearly 60 years old, hid in the dark under the bed upstairs. The Japanese soldiers killed her by poking her with a sharp bamboo pole (she didn’t die that day. But she had dozens of wounds all over the body and died despite treatment). Besides, 5 pieces of furniture such as tools were burned. Another villager Mr. Huang had a fat pig killed by the Japanese soldiers with the legs burned and eaten by them.
In 1944, the Japanese army was stationed in XXX Village, Yiwu. The villagers had nowhere to escape. A class of soldiers and several laborers came to our village, digging out taros from my family’s field. Moreover, the Japanese soldiers came in the village for women. My elder sister was raped by a Japanese soldier. My mother asked me to stop the soldier, but I was only 12 years old and scared back by his bayonet. My father tried to save my sister and was stabbed by the soldier. My sister was seriously hurt. She is still weak and depressed until today.
Miserable complainant: Huang XX (Retired cadre)
July 3, 1992
Address: Yiwu, Zhejiang
