Date of letter:1993-03-01
Address of author:Dao County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province
Date of event:1944-08-16
Location of event:Dao County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province
Name of author:Jiang Weisen
Name(s) of victim(s):Jiang Guoliang, Jiang Guodong (Jiang Weisen’s grandfather and younger brother)
Type of atrocity:Murders, Others, Rapes(RA, MU, OT）
Other details:On August 16, 1944, the Japanese soldiers invaded our village. They looted livestock and raped women everywhere. My grandfather Jiang Guoliang and his younger brother Jiang Guodong were caught and forced to be porters. My grandfather was killed because he could not carry heavy things. And my grandfather’s brother had not been seen or heard since then.
Respectable Mr. Tong Zeng,
I’d like to extend my sincere respect to you for pursuing justice and demanding compensation for Chinese people and making efforts to defend world peace.
On lunar August 16, 1944, the Japanese army invaded my village (Xiazhuqiao Village, Xitangguan Town, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province), where they committed crimes including robbing livestock such as cattle, pigs and chicken, raping women and capturing over 20 villagers who failed to escape. My grandfather Jiang Guoliang and his first younger brother Jiang Guodong were captured at the same time. A Japanese soldier forced my grandfather to carry loads, but as my grandfather was an intellectual and had serious scapulohumeral periarthritis, he couldn’t lift up his two hands, let alone carry the loads. So, the Japanese soldier immediately shot him down. He was not dead at that time, but the Japanese soldier fired two more shots. Thus, my grandfather stopped moving and died. Seeing his older brother being shot dead, Jiang Guodong collapsed on the ground, but was pulled up by the Japanese soldier and forced to carry loads. From then on, we lost his whereabouts and he never returned to the hometown.
The above are two debts that the Japanese army owes my family. Today, the Chinese people have stood up and we shall confidently demand compensation from Japan. Mr. Tong, please give me instructions on how to handle the matter.
The Letter of Claim for Compensation from the Incumbent Japanese Government is provided below. This is something new to me and I don’t know how to write it. Please enlighten me.
Best regards,
Vocational Agricultural Machinery School, Dao County, Hunan Province
Jiang Weisen
March 1, 1993
Letter of Claim for Compensation from the Incumbent Japanese Government
During the World War II, Japanese militarists launched the war of aggression against China and committed crimes including burning, killing, raping and looting, causing a terrible disaster to the Chinese people. On lunar August 16, 1944, a small group of Japanese soldiers invaded my village (Xiazhuqiao Village, Xitangguan Town, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province), where they committed all kinds of crimes and captured over 20 villagers who failed to escape. My grandfather Jiang Guoliang couldn’t carry loads due to illness, which was seen by a Japanese soldier as protest, so the soldier fired three shots at him, killing him instantly. My grandfather’s first younger brother Jiang Guodong was captured as a slave laborer. We lost his whereabouts and he never returned to the hometown. The above are two debts that Japanese militarists owe my family. They have caused irreparable losses to my family.
Thanks to the arduous struggle of the Chinese people, China finally won the war and kicked Japanese soldiers out. The defeated countries launching the war of aggression shall compensate winning countries according to international law. As an offspring of the victims, I solemnly demand a compensation of USD 200,000 from the Japanese government.
Jiang Weisen
Teacher in Vocational Agricultural Machinery School, Dao County, Hunan Province
Xiazhuqiao Village, Xitangguan Town, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province, China
March 1, 1993
