Date of letter:1994-10-06
Address of author:Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province
Date of event:1941-1942
Location of event:Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province
Name of author:Lou Lanxiang
Name(s) of victim(s):Common people of Yiwu City
Type of atrocity:Biological/Chemical Warfare, Air Bombings(BC, AB）
Other details:In 1941, the Japanese soldiers spread plague bacteria in our residential area, causing the death of hundreds of people. In 1942, the Japanese army bombed and in 1942, the occupied Yiwu City.
Indictment by Civilians against Japan
Plaintiff: Lou Lanxiang, female, 67, citizen of the People’s Republic of China, Han ethnic group, resident of Yiwu City, current address is No. 3, Lane 22, Ximen Street, Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province, postal code: 322000.
Defendant: Japanese government
During the Japanese invasion war period, Japanese military aircrafts heavily bombed civilian residential zones with no air defense facility, which resulted in the destruction of 23 houses of my home, I demand the defendant to compensate USD 32000.
Facts and causes: My home was originally at No. 8 Beimen Street, Yiwu City, shop name Lou Rong Chang, my father is Lou Weiheng, he opened a soy sauce shop, our home had 9 storied houses, and 14 bungalows, which contained shop front, warehouse, soy sauce room, mill, and cow shed. On April 7, 1942, on the lunar calendar, our home was occupied by the Japanese Army, around September 10, 1941 on the lunar calendar there was no troop in our residential zone, it was not an air defense zone, Japanese military aircraft fleet spread plague bacteria in our civilian zone, several hundred people were killed. On April 20, 1942 on the lunar calendar, 12 Japanese military aircrafts dropped 235 bombs into the bubonic plague zone, plus 14 incendiary bombs, which destroyed over 800 civilian houses, all houses of my family were destroyed, the whole family lost shelter since then, children no longer went to school. More than 50 years on, our family’s business never recovered, we lived indignant and painful life.
Compensation details:
The Japanese Army’s aircrafts destroyed 20 storied houses and bungalows in my home, including shop front, warehouse as well as raw materials, and semi-finished products, finished products, all kinds of clothing, food, cattle, tools, and properties, I demand the defendant the Japanese government to compensate USD 32000.
The plaintiff was Chinese citizen, lived at civilian residential quarters with no air defense facilities, she was engaged in business, whereas bombing by Japanese military aircrafts of our streets and residents along with destruction of houses indeed violated international conventions and laws on war, and constituted the most fundamental humanitarian crimes, by demanding compensation from Japan, we aim to make up for the loss caused by the brutal Japanese Army, what’s more important it is for the sake of sincere friendship between Chinese government and Japanese government, between Chinese people and Japanese people, without Japan’s compensation, it could hardly wipe out our national humiliation, and appease our hatred, the towering crimes of the Japanese invasion war trampled international laws, and shocked the whole world, and were unforgettable. Japan wants to join the United Nation’s Council, you must weigh yourself, whether or not you yourself have fairness and justice, the compensation is a touch stone, no compensation means Japan wants no peace, and instead wants to revert to the invasion road, we demand the Japanese government to give a gesture of peace in front of the global population for the Sino-Japanese friendship, and express its sincerity with real action, and make decision on the issue of Chinese civilian damage compensation as soon as possible.
In witness whereof
Japanese government court c/a Japanese Embassy in the People’s Republic of China
Plaintiff: Lou Lanxiang (name seal)
October 6, 1994
Yiwu, Zhejiang
I request Mr. Tong Zeng to forward my petition
Signatures for Demanding Damage Compensation from Japan
About Damage Compensation for the Anti-Japanese War
In 1972, the Chinese government abandoned the “War Compensation” claim toward Japan, but it did not announce to abandon the “Damage Compensation” claim —— This is an important opinion repeatedly expounded by youth jurist Tong Zeng in his thesis, which received extensive concern from all social circles, newspapers such as “China Business Herald” and the “Legal Daily” one after another reprinted its abstract.
Tong Zeng’s article explained the difference between the two kinds of compensations prescribed by international laws. “War compensation” refers to the compensation for losses sustained by the invaded countries when the defeated nation launched invasion into other countries.
”Damage compensation refers to compensation that must be undertaken by the invading nation being defeated to compensate for multiple serious crimes committed against the people and properties of the invaded nation due to violation of laws of war and humanitarian rules during the war. After the WWII, Jews, Poland, and France all claimed huge amount of damage compensation on the ground of receiving Nazi persecution.
Today’s value of “Damage compensation” that China should receive from Japan is equivalent to 180 billion USD……
“People’s Political Consultative Daily”
