Date of letter:1993-12-04
Address of author:Shenyang City, Liaoning Province
Date of event:1937
Location of event:Sanxing, Heilongjiang Province (now Yilan County, Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province)
Name of author:Sheng Changrong
Name(s) of victim(s):Sheng Yongshun (Sheng Changrong’s father) and the villagers
Type of atrocity:Murders, Others（MU, OT）
Other details:One day in 1937, my father and several villagers were surrounded in our thatched cottage by the Japanese soldiers. My mother held me and witnessed that the Japanese soldiers poured gasoline on them, lit up and burned them to death. My mother’s grieved crying drew the attention of the Japanese soldiers who also wanted to throw me into the fire. Thanks to the villagers who helped push my mother away from the crowd, I survived. After that, my mother with several children lived a hard life. Unfortunately, my elder sister was bitten by a dog when she begged. She was cold and hungry and died in the wilderness. My mother got mental disorders. My family was broken up by the Japanese soldiers. I require the Japanese government to compensate my family. Several copies of proof materials are attached.
Petition
To Japanese Embassy in Beijing
Citizen: Sheng Changrong
Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China
December 4, 1993
Petition
Ambassador of the Japanese Embassy in Beijing China:
I am Sheng Changrong, a Chinese citizen; I want to appeal for the death of my father Sheng Yongshun during the Japanese invasion in China. At that time we lived in “Sanxing” (now Yilan County), Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, in 1937 Japan implemented village merger there, namely to merge separately living residents into one village, the merger was ordered to be finished within three days. Otherwise there’s no warning about burning or killing. Within three days the residents basically finished merger. Only a small thatched house of my family remained undestroyed, my father wanted to tear down the house, but since it’s past the deadline, he dared not to go there. In one afternoon several days later, my father discovered that there we seven to eight farmer-looking people in our small house, it’s not clear what they were doing. At that moment, Japanese soldiers came, and moved toward the small house, my father sensed something disastrous was about to happen, so he desperately ran toward the small house, intending to inform the people there, people in the small house were walking outside, but the Japanese soldiers had come, and surrounded both the house and people. The Japanese soldiers wielded bayonets, and guarded it heavily, those people inside were unable to rush out. The Japanese soldiers then splashed gasoline on the house and the people before setting them on fire, local residents all ran toward the site of the incident, my mother carried me (I was three) and ran to the site too, the Japanese soldiers held back the crowd to prevent them from approaching, my mother jostled to move closer, and witnessed my father and other seven to eight people were rolling on the ground, yelling from burning pain, the burning flesh sizzled, finally all of them curled into a balls, my mother uttered heart-rending shouts, I also cried though I had no idea what was happening. The Japanese soldiers seemed to know we were family members of the victims, so they wanted to grab me from my mother’s hands, intending to toss me into the fire, fortunately one farmer helped my mother to catch me, and pushed my mother into the crowd to escape, my mother and myself survived in this way. After that my mother led several children to lead hard life, several of my elder sisters became child brides, in that year I was carried by cousin back to Benjxi County in Liaoning Province unknown to my mother, I was brought up in relative’s family, my mother was left behind due to limited conditions at that time, my mother led an elder sister three years older than me to beg for food in Beidahuang. One year later this elder sister was bitten by dog when she was begging, coupled with coldness and starvation, she died on waste land, which made my mother became mentally unbalanced. Children all called my mother old crazy granny. My family was broken up by the Japanese invasion.
In August 1945, the Japanese Invasion Army was defeated by Chinese people, and stopped crimes in China. In 1959, with care and help from the government, we found my mother and several elder sisters with whom we had lost contact for twenty years, the family finally embraced reunion, my mother passed away in 1973 due to illness.
Looking back at this painful experience, I still can remember it with vivid clarity, I will never forget, and my offspring will never forget the fact that numerous Chinese people died tragically under the knife of the Japanese invaders, in the 10000 people pit piled high with human bones, there were hoary haired seniors and newly born infants who were buried alive. I was thinking: Why didn’t the leadership group of Japan at that time properly lead heir people to build their own country, let Japanese people live and work in peace and contentment, but instead crossed the ocean to invade other countries and harm their people? This will be punished by heaven. Of course, this is the crime of the then Japanese leadership group, the Japanese people are innocent, we and the Japanese people will remain friendly for generations to come. Consequently, today I want to demand compensation from the Japanese government for the damage sustained by me and the Chinese people during their invasion. This also represents acknowledgement of this segment of condemned history and apology by the Japanese government. Meanwhile, through this action, it can educate people to love and promote long lasting peace of the mankind.
I demand compensation of five million yen.
Regards
Sincerely yours
Sheng Changprong
Employee of Liaoning Province Shenyang Textile Equipment Factory
People’s Republic of China
December 4, 1993
To Whom It May Concern
Comrade Sheng Changrong is an employee of our factory, according to his personnel file, his father Sheng Yongshun was killed by the Japanese Invasion Army during village merger in Yilan County in Heilongjiang Province in 1937, he himself was accompanied by the deceased’s cousin Sheng Changxing to Benjxi County in Liaoning Province, and brought up in relative’s family.
This certificate is hereby issued
China Liaoning Province Shenyang Textile Equipment Factory
December 4, 1993
China Textile Equipment Factory (Company seal)
To Whom It May Concern
Sheng Changrong is a former resident of Jiangcao Village in our town (now working in Shenyang), his father Sheng Yongshun, was killed by the Japanese Invasion Army in Heilongjiang in 1938. Back then Sheng Changrong was only three, his cousin Sheng Changxin (resident of our town, now deceased) immediately went to Heilongjiang after hearing the unfortunate news, because of limited conditions at that time, he secretly carried him back to Caohekou, he was brought up in relative’s family.
The above facts are true beyond doubt.
This certificate is hereby issued.
Liaoning Province Benjxi County Caohekou Town Government (Official seal)
1993.12.4
To Whom It May Concern
Sheng Changrong is a former resident of Jiangcao Village, Caohekou Town (he now is working in Shenyang), his father Sheng Yongshun was killed by the Japanese Invasion Army in Heilongjiang Province in 1938, as far as I knew at that time, Sheng Yongshun went to Heilongjiang to flee from famine due to poor economic condition, his son Sheng Changrong was only 3, after his death his cousin Sheng Changxin learned the news, and went to Heilongjiang Province to carry the less than 3 year old Sheng Changrong back to the native place, his cousin Sheng Changxin brought him up, the above facts are true.
Testifier: Lu Guangsen (handprint) (now 87)
1993.12
Caohekou Town Government (Government seal)
93.12.27
Jiangcao Village
93.12.25
Benjxi County Caohekou Town Manzu Town Jiangcao Village Villagers’ Committee (Villagers’ Committee Seal)
To Whom It May Concern
Sheng Changrong is a former resident of Jiangcao Village in our town (now working in Shenyang), Sheng Changrong’s father Sheng Yongshun was killed by the Japanese Invasion Army in Heilongjiang Province in 1938, when Sheng Yongshun was killed by the Japanese Army, his son Sheng Changrong was only three. Sheng Changrong’s cousin Sheng Changxin (former resident of Caohekou Town, now diseased) learned the news that Sheng Yongshun was killed by the Japanese Army, he immediately went to Heilongjiang, because of limited conditions at that time, Sheng Changxing carried Sheng Changrong secretly returned to Caohekou, he was brought up in relative’s family.
The above facts are true beyond doubt.
This certificate is hereby issued.
Lu Shengzhi (handprint)
Liaoning Province Benjxi County Caohekou Town People’s Government (Official seal)
December 1993
Jiangcao Village
93.12.25
Benjxi County Caohekou Manzu Town Jiangcao Village Villagers’ Committee (Villagers’ Committee Seal)
To Whom It May Concern
Sheng Changrong is a former resident of Jiangcao Village in our town (he now is working in Shenyang), his father Sheng Yongshun was killed by the Japanese Invasion Army in Heilongjiang Province in about 1938, back then Sheng Changrong was only 3, his cousin (resident of our town, now deceased), after hearing this piece of sad news, he went to Heilongjiang, because of limited conditions at that time, without his mother knowing he secretly carried him back to Caohekou, he was brought up in relative’s family.
The above facts are true beyond doubt.
This certificate is hereby issued.
Dong Liwei (Hand print)
1993.12.4
Jiangcao Village
93.12.25
Benjxi County Caohekou Manzu Town Jiangcao Village Villagers’ Committee (Villagers’ Committee Seal)
Loahekou Town Government (Government Seal)
93.12.27
