Date of letter:1992-06-05
Address of author:Tongling City, Anhui Province
Date of event:1937
Location of event:Shucheng County, Liu’an City, Anhui Province
Name of author:Huang Changying
Name(s) of victim(s):Huang Shizhen(Huang Changying’s grandfather)
Type of atrocity:Murders (MU)
Other details:My grandfather Huang Shizhen was a farmer. In 1937 during Japanese invasion, he was captured by Japanese on his way home and murdered. I will never forget the catastrophe brought to us during Japanese invasion.
Mr. Tong Zeng:
Please forgive my recklessness in writing this letter.
I am Huang Changying and work with No. 2 Construction Company in Tongling, Anhui. Here is my story:
I recently read an article titled “Issues About China Demanding Civilian Compensation Against Japan” (See the attached copy) from Newspaper Abstracts of May 19, 1992. Before this, during the National People’s Congress in this March, Minister of Foreign Affairs Qian Qichen also answered questions related to the issue. I am so touched to know that you are working hard on it. I’d like to express gratitude to you.
Japan’s war of aggression against China brought a serious disaster to the Chinese people and Chinese families. My grandfather was killed by the Japanese army’s shot for no reason. According to the instruction of my over 60-year-old father, I hereby strongly demand the Japanese government to compensate the Chinese families that are direct victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China for their irreparable spiritual and material losses. This is completely in line with international practice and humanitarianism. So, I totally agree with you and provide signatures of my 14 family members as direct victims. I hope that the Japanese government will accept our request for economic compensation and make positive efforts to compensate the crime.
Mr. Tong, I have the following issues about demanding civilian compensation against Japan due to my lack of experience, and I hope to get help from you.
1. How to sign in favor of the proposal demanding civilian compensation against Japan?
2. What is the title of the organization to be established responsible for demanding civilian compensation against Japan? How to contact with the organization?
3. What are the procedures for Chinese civilian victims to directly demand compensation against the Japanese government? How to handle evidential materials?
4. What is the scope of Chinese civilian victims?
I write this letter to ask for your help on behalf of my family and if there are any inadequacies, please point them out and take time to give me advice. Thank you again on behalf of my family.
(Attached is a material about my grandfather Huang Shizhen being cruelly killed by Japanese soldiers.)
Best regards,
No. 2 Construction Company, Tongling, Anhui
Huang Changying
Night of June 5, 1992
Process of My Grandfather Huang Shizhen Being Cruelly Killed by Japanese Soldiers
It’s been over a century, but my grandfather’s soul still haunts us. The older generation of my family told my generation about what happened to my grandfather, triggering our hate for enemies. My father Huang Dehuai visited the 94-year-old Li Zuowen and 75-year-old Huang Desheng from our village to collect more details about the matter and the below is the process of my grandfather being cruelly killed by Japanese soldiers.
My grandfather was Huang Shizhen who lived in Dongrenhe, Shucheng, Anhui (now Renhe, Chengguan, Shucheng) as a farmer like his previous generations were. In the first half of 1937 after the Japanese army heavily bombed and occupied Shucheng, they cruelly killed people and burned houses wherever they went. They even shouted themselves hoarse that they would occupy the whole China within 48 hours. On May 12 or 13, 1937, my grandfather went to my great-aunt’s house at Taoxi 15 km on the north of Shucheng to bring her and her family to our house at the request of my grandmother. When passing Shucheng on their way back, my grandfather was taken away by Japanese soldiers and was later innocently killed by them. Li Zuowen recalled that the soldiers first searched my grandfather and other people being captured, then forced them in Wujia Avenue near the pier of Shucheng and shot them there. Two months later, a man surnamed Tu (he has passed away) from our village said that my grandfather’s body was thrown in the sorghum fields at Jinhuozi (name of a place) under Nanguan Bridge (note: the two places are several hundred meters away). My family lost the only source of income and the family stability after my grandfather’s death. At that time, the government was weak and the people were too timid and loyal to make any trouble, so we didn’t dare to find my grandfather’s body or say anything about it. We have to bury anger and hate deep in our heart.
After my grandfather died, the family had only 4 members, including my great grandmother, 32-year-old grandmother Kuang Chenglan, 5-year-old father and 3-year-old aunt Huang Dezhi Kuang Chenglan. They suffered a lot and struggled to maintain a life with a little help from relatives. Not long after my grandfather’s death, my great grandmother got ill triggered by the mental blow and my 3-year-old aunt was also struck by diseases. They died due to a lack of money for treatment. Later, my poor grandmother managed to live with my young father and finally welcomed the People’s Liberation after suffering mental torture and oppression from old forces. If the Japanese army didn’t launch the war, or innocently killed my grandfather, my family and other millions of people wouldn’t have suffered so much pain.
We shall never forget the history that Japanese launched the war of aggression against China. We would also cherish the friendship between Chinese and Japanese people. In 1972, China and Japan realized normalization of diplomatic relations. In their joint announcement, Chinese government gave up war reparations against Japan for the sake of the bigger picture, which also showed our government’s generosity and sympathy towards Japanese people. Importantly, however, Chinese government didn’t give up civilian compensation against Japan in any form. On the contrary, what has the Japanese government done to us? What have millions of Chinese victims got? Now, Japan government openly pursuing legislature efforts to authorize military action oversee and heavily funding plans to send troops overseas. Because of these reasons, no matter what, we have every reason to support the proposal about demanding civilian compensation against Japan and my whole family of 14 members sign in favor of it. The Japanese government should accept to the compensation request of Chinese civilian victims and their family members and do something beneficial to them as a comfort to the minimum.
Appellant: Huang Changying and other family members
Night of June 5, 1992
