Date of letter:1993-01-09
Address of author:Linfen City, Shanxi
Date of event:1937
Location of event:Linfen City, Shanxi
Name of author:Li Ai, Li Tianlong
Name(s) of victim(s):An Yongxiang (Li Ai’s maternal grandfather), Ru Nvnv (Li Ai’s maternal grandmother), Li Ai’s uncle
Type of atrocity:Slave Laborers, Murders(SL, MU）
Other details:My maternal grandfather was native to Linfen City, Shanxi. In 1937 he was taken by Japanese to do hard labor and then caught running away and beaten to death. Later my uncle was arrested too and left no message ever since. My maternal grandmother Ru Nvnv was forced to do laundry for Japanese and left bitten to death by dogs because several pieces of clothes were lost.
Mr. Tong Zeng:
Hello!
I hereby recount the persecution and the tragic deaths of my grandfather and grandmother, brought about by the Japanese Army; and I solemnly claim damage compensation from the Japanese government.
In 1937, my grandfather An Yongxiang was a native of Banxia Village, Linfen City, in Shanxi Province. He was 34 in at the time. Grandfather was captured by the soldiers of Japanese Invasion Army Linfen Warehouse Garrison Troop to work as a slave laborer. Unable to withstand the inhuman treatment, he tried to escape but was captured afterwards and beaten to death. After grandfather died tragically, the whole family were unable make a living. My uncle was drafted by KMT, my little sister-in-law was sold to someone else, and the whereabouts of these two persons were still unknown today. My mother was sold as a child bride, leaving behind my ill-fated grandmother who was captured by the Japanese Army Warehouse to be a laundry worker. Because of a number of missing clothes, she was mauled to death by hounds released by the Japanese Army. My grandfather and grandmother were persecuted and grilled by the Japanese Invasion Army to death, just like many other compatriots in China in those years. Today we hereby file damage compensation from the Japanese government, which is fully justified, and consistent with the common wish of the Chinese nation.
Victim: An Yongxiang (grandfather), 89 if still alive today
Ru Nünü (grandmother), 85 if still alive today
Victim’s family member: Li Ai
Li Tianlong
Address: Beixiao Village, Beicheng Town, Linfen City, Shanxi Province
January 9, 1993
Linfen City Beicheng Town Beixiao Village Villagers Committee (Seal)
