Date of Letter:1993-09-02
Address of Author:Qinyang City, Henan Province
Date of Event:1940
Location of Event:Qinyang City, Henan Province
Name of Author:Zhang Lixian, Wu Zi’an, Qin Weiba, He Bingshun, etc. (families of the victims)
Name(s) of victim(s):Zhang’s wife Wang, Liang Magen, Zhou Shuang, Liang’s wife Wu, Qin’s wife Zhang, Songduo and her son, a total of 7 people
Type of atrocity:Murders（MU）
Other Details:One afternoon in 1940, Zhang’s wife Wang, Liang Magen, Zhou Shuang, Liang’s wife Wu, Qin’s wife Zhang, Songduo and her son, a total of 7 people, were caught by the Japanese soldiers on their way home after they visited relatives in the town. They were shot dead as the Japanese soldiers’ maneuvering targets, which was witnessed by some villagers, causing a great sensation. We claim for compensation and demand justice.
Letter of Claim for Compensation from Japan
Japanese government,
We are civilian citizens of Beikong Village, Wangqu Town, Qinyang City, Henan Province, PRC. A Japanese military officer who was stationed in Qinyang during Japan’s invasion of China caused an incident. (During Japan’s invasion of China, his subordinates shot dead 7 villagers from my village for no reason). The specific description is provided below:
At about 4 p.m. on lunar year of January 4, 1940 (by Chinese calendar), when 7 villagers including Mrs. Zhang Wang, Liang Magen, Zhou Shuang, Mrs. Liang Wu, Mrs. Qin Zhang, Song Duo and her child, reached the north of Mapo Village on their way home from a visit to their relatives in the town, they were called back by a Japanese soldier called Ha Ximuli and another nicknamed Big Red Face who were stationed in Mapo Village, and shot dead as live targets. These 7 villagers were all women and children. The incident not only took the lives of 7 people, but caused more painful results. Che Zhishi and He Bingshun are two living witnesses of the massacre and can testify. As the tragedy caused an outcry across the village, many people knew about it.
It is not hard to understand when the military officer who was once stationed in Qinyang came back to Qinyang again, the villagers, especially the family members of the victims, were overwhelmed with self-evident anger. Thus, we wrote this letter of claim.
Of course, Japanese invaders caused great losses to the Chinese people during Japan’s war of aggression against China and the loss of 7 lives cannot be compensated by money. And it’s unrealistic that the villagers and victims’ family members demand severe punishment of the murders. The dead people couldn’t be brought back, but your government should at least do something to comfort the victims’ family members.
Therefore, we demand from your government a written apology and a compensation of RMB 420,000 to comfort the victims’ family members.
We sincerely hope that the Japanese government will reply to us as soon as possible.
Chinese citizens and victims’ family members:
Zhang Lixian (Fingerprint), Wu Zian (Fingerprint), Qin Weiba (Fingerprint) and He Bingshun (Fingerprint), etc.
Address: Beikong Village, Wangqu Town, Qinyang City, Henan Province
Postal code: 454550
Contact: Zhang Lixian
September 2, 1993
