Date of letter:1993-03-18
Address of author:Shenyang City, Liaoning Province
Date of event:Not mentioned
Location of event:Not mentioned
Name of author:Zheng Shikui
Name(s) of victim(s):Zheng Ruiqing (Zheng Shikui’s father)
Type of atrocity:Slave Laborers（SL）
Other details:The Japanese invaded China, plundering our belongings and pursuing the policy of “burning all, killing all, and looting all”. They committed all manner of crimes including burning, killing and pillaging as well as making a number of “mass graves”. My father was one of the victims. He was caught to do Slave Laborers by the Japanese soldiers and lived in inhuman conditions. It was lucky for him to come back alive, but his mind and body suffered great trauma.
Comrade Tong Zeng,
I am writing to you with great excitement and reverence. On this February 27, I read an article entitled “Pursuing Justice from Japan” from the 6th page of Shenyang Daily, which was reprinted from Sichuan News of this January 16. I got quite emotional after reading it. I didn’t expect it’s time that the Chinese People gave vent to their anger. Our country becomes more promising because of a group of new talents like you. I really don’t know how to describe my feelings at this moment and my highest respect for you. You are working on an unprecedentedly great cause. The people will always remember your name and achievement.
For many years, imperialist powers invaded and carved up China, massacred Chinese people, trampled on our sea and land, and looted our property. We were victims, but we had to cede territory and pay reparations, letting thousands of ounces of gold and silver flow in the pockets of imperialist invaders. Back then, the Chinese people suffered great humiliation and were treated worse than animals, while today, they are talking about “human rights”. Thinking of the tragic history of the Chinese people, every Chinese person with conscience will feel resentment and humiliation.
During their invasion of China, Japanese imperialists implemented the cruel Three Alls (kill all, burn all and loot all) policy, created many “Ten Thousand People Pits”, massacred tens of thousands of kind Chinese people, captured a large number of Chinese people and forced them to work as slave labor in Japan. They lived an inhuman life under whips and sticks and many of them were abused and beaten to death and buried in a foreign land. This is national humiliation and hate and a blood debt that Japanese militarism owes to us. We Chinese people shall not forget all of this. Lenin once said, “Forgetting the past means betrayal.” Of course, it may be inappropriate to use this sentence here. But we shall never betray our martyrs and we shall pursue justice and restore our true national spirit.
As the diplomatic relations between China and Japan have been normalized for over 20 years, we shall treat the incumbent Japanese government different from the then Japanese militarist government. Our advocacy of Sino-Japanese friendship doesn’t mean removal of history. As the then Japanese militarism brought a terrible disaster and immeasurable losses to the Chinese people, the incumbent Japanese government should assume the responsibility of compensating the Chinese people for their losses. In the past, we common people had to bury the hate deep in our hearts because we don’t know about international law and couldn’t do anything about it.
But I got very emotional after reading the article and knowing about a group of talents like you because I feel you are the pride and hope of the Chinese people. Your proposal has received support of our government. Our government won’t do stupid things as it did before. The Chinese people have hope again. Those victims killed by the Japanese militarists could almost rest in peace. Those survivors also have hope. It is time that China and the Chinese people pursued justice from Japan. We hope that the day to demonstrate national strength and eliminate national humiliation is in sight through your efforts and the negotiation between governments.
My father was captured as a slave laborer during Japan’s invasion of China and led an inhuman life in Japan. It is lucky that he survived and returned home. But the traumatic memories are still fresh to him (See his letter of claim for details). After knowing the news from newspaper that you are pursuing justice from Japan, I immediately asked my father to recall and write down the process of how he was captured and sent to Japan as a slave laborer. I am only sending a copy of his letter of claim to you because I decide to keep his manuscript due to his old age. Please take time to send his letter of claim to the Japanese embassy in China as we don’t know about the process or how to handle it. Moreover, please examine the letter of claim written by my father to see if there is any inadequacy. If you have any instructions or think that we need to write a new letter of claim, please tell me in the reply. Thank you so much. My whole family would like to express our sincere gratitude to you and we’ll visit and thank you in person in the future.
Yours sincerely,
Wish you success.
Zheng Ruiqing’s son Zheng Shikui
March 18, 1993
