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To Tong Zeng with the China Research Center on Aging:

　　We sisters learned from the newspaper that you are handling compensation procedures for victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China. We are so touched by our sincere and enthusiastic services for the people. Meanwhile, it reminds us of painful memories. When we were 9 and 10 respectively, my family was broken apart by the invading Japanese army. The newspaper says the Minister of Foreign Affairs asks the victims to directly demand apologies and compensation against the Japanese government, but we are unable to do that due to our age and health. So we sent materials about our father’s and elder brother’s death and my family’s economic losses to the Principal of the General Office of State Council and asked him/her to forward the materials to you. Mr. Tong, please take time to handle our compensation procedures. We really appreciate it. If the materials are not enough, please make a supplement or reply to us so we can provide supplementary materials.

　　Best wishes to your work, health and everything.

Daughters of Yan Jinqing, shot dead by the invading Japanese army
Younger sisters of Yan Peichun, shot dead by the invading Japanese army
Yan Xiaqin (Personal seal) Yan Xiufang (Personal seal)
June 12, 1993

Address: Room 205, No. 60, Tangnanxincun, Wuxi, Jiangsu
Yan Xiufang
A stamp is attached.

To the Japanese government in care of the Japanese embassy in China

To the Japanese government,

　　We are citizens of the People’s Republic of China. I am Yan Xiaqin, (female, 69, a retired employee from Changsha Film Company, Shangcha, Hunan, China, now lives at West Room 201, No. 13, Qingshijing, Changsha ) and my younger sister is Yan Xiufang (female, 64, a retired cadre from Wuxi Film Factory, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, now lives at Room 205, No. 60, Tangnanxincun, Wuxi). We charge your former militarist government with shooting dead our father Yan Jinqing and elder brother Yan Yaoming (childhood name Yan Peichun) when your invading army invaded my country during the World War II. Your crimes have violated the international laws.

　　At nightfall of lunar October 22, 1937, the invading Japanese army invaded Wuxi, where they plundered properties, burned houses and killed innocent people. My 5-member family (father, mother, elder brother and we two sisters) had no enough time to escape, so we hid in our rented house on No. 14, Houzhuchang Avenue, Wuxi (now No. 33, Houzhuchang Avenue, Wuxi). At about 9 am on lunar October 26, several Japanese soldiers broke into our house and forcibly took away our father Yan Jinqing (then 48, a rice broker with Wuxi Xinchangyuan Rice Store) and elder brother Yan Peichun (then 18, a trainee with Wuxi Zhenxin Flour Mill to make them laborers. Due to language barriers, our father and elder brother showed slight disrespect and were shot dead by the Japanese soldiers at the gate of Jiangyin Hotel on No. 16, Houzhuchang Avenue. Their corpses were exposed there for days. Our mothers and us were in much grief, but were afraid to collect their corpses. The only 12 silver coins of my family were robbed away by the Japanese soldiers. How cruel they were!

　　Let’s set aside the facts that the former Japanese militarist government invaded my country and established a puppet government, and talk about the invading Japanese army’s unforgivable crimes of killing innocent people. Military actions should target armed forces instead of innocent people. This is the most ancient universally recognized rule of war. The Hague Convention on the Laws and Customs of Land Warfare of 1899 and 1907 and the Geneva Convention on Civilian Protection of 1949 specified the protection of civilians’ status and safety. The Japanese army has violated the international laws and committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by shooting dead our father and elder brother. In accordance with the principle of “Those who have committed crimes in violation of international laws shall undertake personal responsibility and be punished” set out in the Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East established on January 19, 1946 and the No. 95 (I) resolution of the UN General Assembly on December 11, 1946, we demand the current Japanese government to find out the army that invaded Wuxi during the war and the criminals who shot dead our father and elder brother, punish them in accordance with international laws and inform us of their punishment to comfort the soul of our dead father and elder brother. No matter what positions the criminals are in or whether they committed the crime by following the order from the upper-level authority or not, they are guilty as long as they are alive. Although it’s been over 50 years their guilt cannot be removed as the principle of statutory limitation doesn’t apply in accordance with the No. 2391××Ⅲ resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1968.

　　The invading Japanese army’s act of invading Japan and implementing the Three Alls Policy in China is the fundamental reason for their shooting dead our innocent father and elder brother, so the former Japanese militarist government cannot escape from its responsibility. The current Japanese government should reflect on itself, apologize to and compensate us. To maintain the friendship between Japanese and Chinese peoples, China announced to give up war reparations against Japan on September 29, 1972. But as individual Chinese citizens who have suffered from Japan’s war of aggression against China, we have every reason and right to demand compensation against the current Japanese government. Our father was 48 and worked as a rice broker. With a monthly salary of 20 or 30 silver coins, he could support the life of my 5-member family. If he wasn’t shot dead, his income of dozens of years would be quite considerable. Our elder brother was only 18, started working and would make a lot of money if he lived. After they were shot dead, my mother and we sisters lost the source of income and struggled to live by doing some handiwork and with the help of relatives and friends. We’ve suffered greatly. Therefore, we demand the current Japanese government to compensate us for economic losses.

　　We charge the invading Japanese army with the crime of shooting dead our innocent father Yan Jinqing and elder brother Yan Peichun during Japan’s war of aggression against China launched by the former Japanese militarist government and demand severe punishment of the criminals and compensation of economic losses not to damage the friendship between Japan and China or between Japanese and Chinese peoples, but to enable the Japanese government to make unremitting efforts for the Sino-Japanese friendship to last for generations instead of forgetting the disasters they’ve brought to the people in China or even around the world during the World War II, or repeating the mistakes of the Japanese militarist government.

Daughters of Yan Jinqing, shot dead by the invading Japanese army
Younger sisters of Yan Yaoming (Yan Peichun), shot dead by the invading Japanese army
Yan Xiaqin (Personal seal) Yan Xiufang (Personal seal)
June 12, 1993

CC:
　　1．Principal of the General Office of State Council, China
　　2．Police Station of the place where Yan Jinqing and Yan Yaoming were killed by the invading Japanese army.
　　3. Mr. Tong Zeng with the China Research Center on Aging in care of the General Office of State Council, China

Notes:
　　Yan Xiaqin, Changsha Film Company, Changsha, Hunan, China
　　Postal code: 410005 (Personal seal)
　　Yan Xiufang, Room 205, No. 60, Tangnanxincun, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
　　Postal code: 214026 (Personal seal)

Evidence of Yan Jinqing and his son Yan Peichun being shot dead by the invading Japanese army

　　I’ve always lived on No. 33, Houzhuchang Avenue. During Japan’s war of aggression against China, our neighbors Yan Jinqing and his son Yan Peichun were shot dead by the invading Japanese army on lunar October 26, 1937 at Dongshou, Damenkou, or the gate of Jiangyin Hotel.

　　At that time, Yan Jinqing was 48, a rice broker and the only breadwinner of his family. Yan Peichun was 18, a trainee of Zhenxin Flour Mill.

　　Their corpses were buried by their family members and relatives several days later. Although it’s been over 50 years, the memories are still fresh to me and I can facilitate with the investigation and verification.

Witness: Hu Ronghan (Personal seal)
No. 33, Houzhuchang Avenue

　　This is to certify that Yan Jinqing and his son Yan Peichun were killed by the invading Japanese army on Houzhuchang Avenue, Wuxi during Japan’s war of aggression against China.

　　In lunar October 1937, the Japanese army invaded Wuxi and killed innocent people Yan Jinqing and his son Yan Peichun who hid in their house. I am a cousin of Yan Jinqing. I was deeply grieved over their death. What a disaster to the country and families. Yan Jinqing worked with Beitang Xinchangyuan Rice Store and his son Yan Peichun with a flour mill. Their meager wages were the only source of income of their 5-member family. The sudden tragedy made the life of Yan Jinqing’s surviving wife and 2 daughters very difficult. As the daughters are pursuing justice for their father and elder brother, I am hereby a witness and will facilitate with the investigation.

Retired cadre of Wuxi Second National Cotton Plant
Liu Maozhi (personal seal), 83 years old
No. 29, Xida Street, Wuxi
June 13, 1993