Date of letter:1994-03-18
Address of author:Nan County, Yiyang City, Hunan Province
Date of event:1943
Location of event:Nan County, Yiyang City, Hunan Province
Name of author:Guo Luping
Name(s) of victim(s):Guo Luping’s father and townsmen
Type of atrocity:Other Massacres, Rapes（OM, RA）
Other details:My name is Guo Luping. I am from Nan County of Hunan Province. In 1943 when the Japanese soldiers invaded my hometown, I was only 16 years old. At that time, 31256 innocent civilians were killed. On May 9 one day only, more than 70 people including my father were killed by the Japanese soldiers. I was stabbed and fell into unconsiousness. A woman was raped.
Comrade Tong Zeng:
How have you been?
I’ve received your letter. I am quite touched by your determination to claim for civilian compensation against Japan. I’d like to express respect for you as a direct victim and on behalf of over 30,000 victims from Changgao and will firmly cooperate with you on your mission and unite with other victims until the day Japan apologizes to and compensates Chinese victims.
Since Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka is visiting China, it’s decided that victims across the country meet at the Japanese embassy in China at 10 am on March 18 to wait for the reply from the Japanese government and demand the Japanese government to compensate Chinese victims who have make a claim for compensation to the embassy. How can I remain calm at this moment? I wish I could fly to the designated place immediately to participate in the massive action. But I couldn’t be there due to the lack of time (the letter came late). I am so sorry.
At this moment, my body is in Changgao, several thousand kilometers away from you, but my heart is already with you, discussing about the matter of claims.
The victims of the Changgao massacre are actively making claims for civilian compensation. We are determined to unite with other victims and cooperate with your action until our goal is met.
If there is any future action concerning the Japanese embassy in China, please write me an early letter (Letters from Beijing to Changgao arrive in about 1 week) so that we will follow your arrangement and arrive timely to attend the activity.
I am sending an invasion advertisement placed by the then Japanese army and a copy of my charge against the then Japanese army as the only survivor of the massacre with two photos of my scars attached (those Japanese soldiers cut through my abdomen. The photos show the scars on my back and abdomen respectively). Please forward them to the Japanese embassy in China and firmly demand damage compensation.
The moment I am writing the letter is exactly when Japanese Prime Minister Hosokawa is making the reply. My heart pounds fiercely. I hate it that I am now in remote Changgao instead of being with you and personally attending the activity. My pain is indescribable. I am looking forward your reply. Please take time to instruct me on the procedures of claims. I really appreciate it.
Best regards,
Guo Luping
10 am, March 18, 1994
To the Japanese embassy in China,
I am a civilian from Changgao, Nan, Hunan, China. I was only 16 when the Japanese army invaded Changgao in 1943. The army massacred 31,256 innocent people in Changgao and I am the only survivor. I am now sending a letter of civilian claims with two photos of my scars attached. I firmly demand civilian compensation.
Best regards,
Changgao, Nan, Hunan
Survivor of Changgao Massacre carried out by the invading Japanese army
Guo Luping
March 18, 1994
Everyone Cheering for Civilian Claims
Demanding Justice and Damage Compensation Against Japan
Experience of Blood and Tears Shared by a Survivor of Changgao Massacre
I am Guo Luping and lives in Changgao, Nan, Hunan, China. When the Japanese army invaded China, my father was running a drugstore and I was the only one in my family who could share his burden. I was only 16 then. After the People’s Liberation, I worked with the Supply and Marketing Cooperatives of Changgao.
In 1943 before the invading Japanese army raided Changgao, my mother and other family members survived Japanese planes’ strafing and gas boats’ chasing and escaped to a relative’s home in Taojiang for shelter. Only my father and I stayed to watch the house.
On May 8, the Japanese army surrounded Changgao from all sides and in all ways of water, land and air. Changgao fell to the Japanese army. My father and I followed other refugees to a secluded place in Yuannei. We escaped to a family surnamed Li in Yuannei in the evening. The house was crowded with over 100 people, including men and women, the elderly and children. Early in the morning on May 9, a group of Japanese soldiers blocked the house, forced the women to the corner and then threatened us men with bayonets to kneel down and take off our clothes. They tied our right hands with ropes and escorted us to three different fields and bayoneted us one by one. Over 70 male villagers including my father were killed. I got stabbed by 5 times with my abdomen being cut through and blacked out. Then, I regained consciousness after a while and felt much pain. It was almost dusk. I didn’t believe I was still alive; I thought I was in the hell. I couldn’t move at that time or untie my hands. All the women fled to the wilderness and lakes after being raped by the Japanese soldiers. After massacring and raping for a whole day, the Japanese soldiers finally had enough of it and gathered at Yufengyuan to spend the night. I was the only survivor, accompanied by a tragic sight of a land full of dead bodies and a river of blood. I wanted to climb out of the place in the dark, but I had no strength to move as I had shed too much blood and the blood was still flowing from the cuts. I figured that I would die tomorrow when the Japanese army came here to clean the place up. I must climb to a hidden place. I blacked out several times and regained consciousness. I suffered much pain to untie the rope, but failed. I blacked out again. It was late at night when I came to myself again. If I couldn’t untie the rope and climb out of here, I would die here at dawn. So, I tried again despite the pain and finally untied the rope. But my heart hurt a lot and I blacked out again. A long time had passed before I woke up. It was almost dawn. I was determined to leave the place but I was so weak and got blind (because I bled too much). I thought I might as well die there. Why suffer to survive? I felt the god of death was coming. But then I thought of my mother and younger brother and sister. I must survive. So, with the desire to survive, gleam light and familiarity of the terrain, I climbed to a bean and wheat field over 30 meters away from the slaughter place. I touched two victims as soon as I entered in the field, but they didn’t move although I called and shook them. I instantly knew they were dead, so I lay beside them as my cover. It was dawn not long after I lay down. I heard the sound of Japanese planes flying. All of a sudden, several planes flew over the fields, searching and shooting any possible survivors. I fully came to myself at that time and felt so thirsty that my heart was burning. The god seemed to know this. Suddenly, lightning and thunder came and rain fell heavily. It seemed that the god was trying to save me, a dying survivor and charging the Japanese army with atrocities. I ate mature beans when I felt hungry. I spent 3 days and nights like that.
After burning, killing, raping and plundering for days, the Japanese army left to raid Hanshou. The local people began to appear and return to their houses. Some houses were burned to ruins, so the owners became homeless. Some houses were plundered, so the owners couldn’t live their life as they used to. Some families were all killed, so their houses became empty. It was indeed a land of blood and dead bodies. The view was too tragic to see.
I spent 3 days and nights in the wheat field and suffered from hunger, cold and infection. I thought I would die for sure. But on the 4th day, a man named Ye Laosan passed the field on his way back home and heard my weak sign. He was brave enough to enter the field, searching and saw several dead bodies. He took several steps back. I begged for help. The kind man carried me back his home. He and his daughter cleaned my wounds, applied medicine to them and took good care of me, so I was brought back to life.
During half a century after the disaster, I’ve been accompanied by the hospital and medicine due to my wounds, but I’ve also been taken care of by the Party and people. The disease is still torturing me. I strongly pursue justice and demand civilian compensation against Japan and I won’t stop doing that until Japan formally apologizes and compensate me.
Changgao, Nan, Hunan
Survivor of Changgao Massacre carried out by the invading Japanese army
Guo Luping
March 18, 1994
