Date of letter:1993-11-12
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):Common people of Nan County
Type of atrocity:Other Massacres, Rapes, Others(OM, RA, OT）
Other details:I am one of the survivors during the Japanese invasion of China. In 1943, the Japanese army killed more than 30,000 people in Nan County, raped women, and burned houses and other property. I write a copy of materials. Could you deliver it to the Japanese relevant departments in China?
When you receive this letter, I expect you to write a reply letter to me to establish contact, so as to facilitate close cooperation between us to proceed with the next step in the compensation claim, until Japan gives formal apology and offers compensation.
Please mail your letter to Guo Luping, Changyao Supply & Marketing Cooperative, Nanxian County, Hunan Province.
Postal code is 413217
Regards
Sincerely yours
——Guo Luping
Survivor of the Japanese Army’s Changyao Massacre
1993.11.12
Comrade Tong Zeng,
When I read the article “Demanding Justice from Japan” published on page 4 of the “Digest Weekly” from Chengdu Daily on February 3, 1993, which discussed in detail your sense of national mission for the Chinese people, and your determination to solicit 100 million Chinese people’s signatures for demanding Japan to pay damage compensation, it made me feel righteously indignant, I resolutely give support to participate in your action.
I am Guo Luping, one of the survivors of the Changyao Massacre during the Japanese invasion into China, now live at Changyao Town, Nanxian County, Hunan Province, after liberation, I worked in the supply and marketing cooperative since then, and have acquired intermediate professional title “Statistician”.
In May 1943, the Japanese Army occupied Changyao, encircled Changyao Big Embankment, implemented “Burn All, Kill All, Loot All” policy, and created the world-shocking Changyao Massacre, which is an invasion crime of the Japanese Army, the second biggest massacre only next to the Nanjing Massacre, from May 8 to May 12, within a matter of four days and four nights, they killed more than 30000 compatriots, raped over 2000 women, burned over 3000 houses, and destroyed 2500 odd boats.
During the Japanese invasion in China, the Japanese Army created Changyao Massacre, as a survivor of Changyao Massacre who witnessed the atrocities of the Japanese Army and those directly killed by the Japanese Army, I cherish extremely indignant sentiment and the mission of over 30000 people of Changyao, resolutely support your open letter to solicit signature of 100 million Chinese to demand damage compensation from Japan, on behalf of over 30000 people from Changyao area I will join this extensive signature activity, I have written a material concerning the history of tear and blood in Changyao, and denouncing the atrocities of the Japanese Army during the invasion in China, aiming to demand justice from Japan, and demand damage compensation, I hereby mail it to you, please forward it to relevant departments of Japan in China.
Demanding Justice from Japan, Demanding Damage Compensation
(History of tear and blood in Changyao during the Japanese invasion in China,)
——Guo Luping
Changyao is located on the southwestern border of Nanxian County, Hunan Province, on the waterfront of Dongting Lake, with an area of 50 km, the whole embankment included 13 small embankments, form May 8 to 12, 1943, the Japanese Invasion Army encircled Changyao Big Embankment, implemented “Burn All, Kill All, Loot All” policy, and created the world-shocking Changyao Massacre, in this Massacre, more than 300000 Chinese compatriots were killed.
I. The Japanese Army invaded China and approached Changyao
In 1943 General Shunroku HATA, the Commander-in-chief of Japanese Troops in China, personally issued the order to wage West Hubei and North Hunan battle, which mobilized more than 1500 soldiers, invaded Hunan from Hubei, on March 9 they occupied Huarong, in early May they occupied Nanxian and Anxiang, the KMT troops stationed at three counties of Nanxian, Huarong, and Anxiang retreated toward the territory of Hanshou County, the Japanese Army chased relentlessly, and entered Changyao. On May 8, more than 2000 Japanese soldiers invaded Changyao region by river and land, in which one of the troops traveling by land crossed the river from Jiwoling, Sanxianhu in Nanxian to Changyao, another troop passed Wushenggong, Mahekou in Anxiang to close in on Changyao North Dike; one troop traveling by river rode several steam boats from Yueyang, passed Caowei, and blocked lake tributaries, blockaded Lishui River flood way, another troop came from Taipingkou in Hubei to pass Wushenggong of Anxiang directly, blocked Lishui River and river front line with multiple steam boats, meanwhile the invaders dispatched several hundred sorties of aircrafts in several days, in batches intruded into the space of Changyao, by May 9, a complete siege in water, land and air was developed to surround Changyao Big Embankment.
II. Changyao Massacre, extreme cruelty
After the Japanese Army surrounded Changyao, they implemented “Burn All, Kill All, Loot All” policy, from May 8 to May 12, within a matter of four days and four nights, they killed more than 30000 compatriots, raped over 2000 women, burned over 3000 houses, and destroyed 2500 odd boats.
During the four days of burning, killing, raping and looting by the Japanese Army, night soils on the sides of the field became pit for burying bodies, the lake teemed with bodies to become a lake of blood, villages were burned to piles of debris, trees were scorched, the Tuojiang River was littered densely with broken ship and human bodies, it became a river of blood, within several months people living inside and outside the embankment were unable to obtain drinking water, the aftermath after the disaster was cruel to the extreme.
Yonggu is the central area of Changyao Big Embankment, several thousand refugees fled there, in the early morning of May 9, several hundred Japanese soldiers, mixed with some cavalry troops, swooped on this place, in an instant, people shouted and horse neighed, sound of guns and shots, the Japanese Army ran around to capture civilians, and forced everyone string by string to the harvest field, kneel down, then killed them with oriental knife, or machine gun. After the massacre the local survivors dug many victims’ pits, till today it is still called “10000 People Pit”.
Heizhouzi is located in the west of Changyao Big Embankment, back then several thousand refugees fled there, in the morning of May 10, the Japanese Army’s aircrafts dropped bombs and sprayed bullets, the Japanese Army’s infantry rushed toward here, and left behind scattered bodies; rivulets of blood formed lake, in a small embankment with less than an area of 2 sq km, they killed over 3000 compatriots.
Along the Dianfuya River line immediately close to Hezhouzi embankment, more than 80 refugees including Guo Luping took shelter in a family surnamed Li, on May 9, the dawn just broke, a small squadron of Japanese soldiers led by a squadron leader carrying an oriental knife on horseback suddenly surrounded this house, they forced women and children to a corner, then asked all the men to kneel down, remove jackets, and used rope to tie up right hands, formed three strings, then escorted them to three harvest fields before stabbing them to death with bayonets one by one, Guo Luping’s father and over 80 refugees were all killed, none of the four sons of the master survived, the household was annihilated, only Guo Luping survived despite being stabbed in the belly, and three cuts on the left breast.
When farmer Xiao Changqing was captured by the Japanese Army, he was tied up and asked to work as a guide; he said his eyesight was not good, hearing his reply, the Japanese Army dug out his eyes with knife.
Over 60 refugees from Walian Embankment were forced to enter Xiangfengshan Village, the Japanese Army drove 20 odd women into a tiled house, and burned the house with people in it, even toddlers were thrown into the fire, afterwards they strung up 30 odd men and children into groups, forced then to walk to the waterside with bayonet, and drowned all of them.
Farmer Bi Chengju had a less than two year old toddler, who lost sight of his parents in the stampeding crowd, the Japanese Army captured him, and pierced him with bayonet to play for fun.
In the burning, killing, raping and looting in Yucheng Embankment, Japanese Army were more cruel, they tied groups of refugees together in 30 or 50 people, then drove them into river, fastened behind the steam boat, then opened full throttle to drag then to death in the river; they used rope to loop up the neck, with the other end of the rope binding up the feet to form a ball, then one by one they pushed them into river to drown them, the Japanese Army clapped hands and sneered.
On the eyot of Yucheng Embankment, the Japanese Army forced captured refugees to stand in rows, then they used a ten zhang long tow rope, looped up everyone’s neck one by one to form a string, then more than a dozen Japanese soldiers divided themselves into two teams, each grabbed one end of the tow rope, to imitate “tug of war” to play for fun.
The Japanese Army’s aircrafts bombed Changyao heavily, the invading Japanese soldiers also sprayed bullets on the Changyao eyot with machine gun, the fleeing boat people on the river were all killed, it was really a horrible sight on the Changyao Big Embankment at that time.
The Japanese Army boarded boats to search, and killed every sailor, raped every woman, looted everything valuable, then splashed gasoline to destroy the boat, for several days and several nights, the river was engulfed by smoke and fire, with fire burning day and night.
The Japanese Army’s armed steam boat also chased boat people, over 2000 boats they blocked along over 10 kilometers long river line were all burned, everywhere near the river and river banks on both sides became abattoir for killing people.
The Japanese Army wantonly raped female compatriots, a group of women in Liansan Embankment were stripped by the Japanese Army in broad day light, and gang raped, then they pushed wine bottles into their genitalia, these girls bled to death.
The Japanese Army captured several pregnant women, stripped them with force, and raped them, then they treaded on their abdomen, after which they cut open the belly to kill the fetus for fun.
One woman in Xiaojia Village refused to be humiliated by the Japanese Army, for this reason one of her breasts was cut off by the Japanese Army, the Japanese Army’s atrocities were innumerous.
The Japanese soldiers even raped children and seniors, from 13 year old girls to octogenarian grandmas, all of them were targets of raping, regardless of menstruation period, over 2000 women were raped in Changyao Big Embankment, over 90 women were gang raped till death, more than 200 women were killed after being raped.
As the only survivor of the massacre by the Japanese Army, I want to denounce the atrocities of the Japanese Invasion Army in China, I strongly demand Japan to offer damage compensation to innocent civilians.
November 12, 1993
