Date of letter:1992-11-11
Address of author:Xiuyan County, Dandong City, Liaoning Province
Date of event:1934
Location of event:Xiuyan County, Dandong City, Liaoning Province
Name of author:Lin Yongzheng
Name(s) of victim(s):Many
Type of atrocity:Others, Other Massacres（OT, OM）
Other details:In 1934 the Japanese army forced us villagers to leave home and then set fire to our houses. 164 houses were totally destroyed, leaving 1339 people homeless. One of them starved to death, eight died of illness and 13 were killed. Each household suffered great losses. Attached is a signature table. We now claim compensation from the Japanese government for our losses.
Petition Demanding Damage Compensation
Complainants: 164 households, including villager Lin Yongzheng, from three village units of the Cen’gou Village, Town of Cen’gou, Xiuyan County, Liaoning, People’s Republic of China
Defendant: Security Force of the Japanese militarism
Cause of action: Damage Compensation
Statement of Facts and Grounds for Compensation
In the spring of 1943, the Security Force of Japanese militarism invaded our village and forced us to leave our homeland empty handed. They, then, doused our houses with gasoline and set them on fire. The movable and immovable property of 164 households of the three smaller villages, including houses, livestock, poultry, food, farming tools, furniture and clothing, were burned down, causing 1339 people homeless. We suffered from hunger and cold, and lived by begging. Due to no sources of clothes and food, and lack of medical care and medicine, 1 person was starved to death, 13 were killed and 8 died of sickness. The average economic loss of each household was 100,000 Yuan; it’s a total of RMB 18.60 million Yuan.
According to the provisions of the International Law, the Security Force of the Japanese militarism must be liable for the economic losses that it caused to the innocent Chinese people because it invaded China and violated the laws of war and humanitarian principles, causing innocent Chinese people homeless. Although the Chinese government gave up war reparations against Japan in the Sino-Japanese joint statement on normalization of relations in September 1972, it only gave up war reparations between the two governments, not including civilian compensation for damage. These two concepts cannot be mixed up. War reparations are the payments made by the defeated countries that launch an war of aggression to cover damage to other countries inflicted by the war, while the compensation for damage is the payment that the defeated countries launching a war of aggression must make for their violation of the laws of war and humanitarian principles in the war and for their serious crimes committed to the people of other countries and their property. After World War II, the Jewish, Polish and French people demanded a huge amount of compensation for damage against Germany for the reason of Nazi persecution. Therefore, our claiming for damage compensation against Japan is fair, reasonable and just.
Request:
We sincerely ask the Union of Chinese Civilian Victims Demanding Compensation against Japan to represent us to claim for RMB 18.60 million against Japan.
Complainants (victim): Head of household Lin Yongzheng (Personal seal) Wang Wen’ge
Signature Roster of Head of Household
164 households in total
13 people were killed
8 people died of fear and illness
1 person died of fear and hunger
Note:
1. The economic losses from the burned houses are estimated at 100,000 Yuan per household, so it’s 16.40 million Yuan in total.
2. 22 people were killed and died. The compensation to each of them is calculated as 100,000 Yuan, so it’s 2.20 million Yuan in total.
It’s RMB 18.60 million Yuan in total.
November 11, 1992
Representatives of the masses: Lin Yongzheng (Personal seal)
Wang Wen’ge
Lin Yongxiang
