Date of letter:1993-04-14
Address of author:Zhuzhou County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province
Date of event:1944
Location of event:Zhuzhou County, Zhuzhou City, Hunan Province
Name of author:Duan Zhongyi, Duan Yougen
Name(s) of victim(s):Duan Zhongyi’s father and villagers
Type of atrocity:Other Massacres, Others, Rapes（OM, OT, RA)
Other details:In 1944, the Japanese troops constantly plundered the countryside, raping, looting and committing other crimes. People were arrested, taken into a certian place, forced to knee down and shot in groups. Those not shot dead are stabbed with a bayonet. 21 were killed on the spot, while my father died three days after that. Now I claim compensation from Japan.
Respectable Mr. Tong Zeng:
How’re you? First of all, wish you good health and that everything goes well.
I am Duan Zhongyi, born at Duanjia (Duanjia House), Yuexing, Sanmen, Zhuzhou, Hu’nan.
I’ve learned recently that the civilian victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China in 1944 are demanding compensation against the Japanese government. I think it is totally justified. I’ve also read Mr. Tong’s views on demanding compensation against Japan from the Hu’nan Women’s News and I think your views are correct. We, my cousin and I, firmly support your views.
Respectable Mr. Tong, my cousin Duan Yougen and I are both over 60, but we still have fresh memories of the following incident. It was in the 33rd year of the Republic of China (1944) when the Japanese aggressors launched massive attack across China. They stationed along the road or in towns and soldiers were often sent to the countryside for robbing and raping. There was a town named Gesanmen (now the town government) near a river 4km from my house, where an unknown number of Japanese soldiers were stationed. Many pigs were fed as daily supplies and guard outposts were set up. At about 3 a.m. on March 13, 1944, three teams of over 50 Japanese soldiers madly barged in our house with guns and bayonets like beasts. They first raped women and then searched for men. Except those hiding under the bed or among pig grass, etc., all the rest were captured. By tying their right hands together with a long string, they were taken to the Zhuyuan Hill behind the house and forced to kneel down. Then, the Japanese soldiers shot them randomly. Some died instantly and others were injured and cried out of pain. Hearing their cry, the Japanese soldiers returned and bayoneted them, killing 21 people on the spot. There were corpses all around the place. How terrible! Twelve of the 21 dead people were from my family and the rest were from other families or came here to hide from the Japanese soldiers. My father Duan Meichen didn’t die instantly, but he had two stab wounds at armpit and died on the third day. The Japanese soldiers also robbed a lot of foods like oil, rice and livestock from our village. After Japan’s unconditional surrender the next year (1945), the Chiang Kai-shek government didn’t charge Japan with killing our Chinese people, making us suffer so many years. Respectable Mr. Tong, people like us from the countryside don’t know how to handle the issue of claiming compensation against Japan. We are writing to sincerely ask you to summarize our materials and send them to the Japanese Embassy in China. We’ll wait for the news of compensation. We strongly demand a compensation of 50,000 yuan for each victim against Japan. Please let us know upon receipt of any reply from Japan. Thank you. Talk you later.
Best regards & Salute,
Relatives of victims
Duan Zhongyi
Duan Yougen
April 14, 1993
Address: Duanjia, Yuexing, Sanmen, Zhuzhou, Hu’nan
