Date of letter:1992-11-16
Address of author:Wujin County, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Date of event:1938
Location of event:Wujin County, Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Name of author:Zhou Zhongyi
Name(s) of victim(s):Zhou Zhongyi‘s grandfather, Qian Jusheng
Type of atrocity:Murders (MU)
Other details:In late autumn of 1938, my grandfather Zhou Rongquan went to his daughter’s home in Wujin County. On the way he met Qian Jusheng who was killed by the Japanese Army. At this time the Japanese Army captured a person named Zhu Yongsheng, and asked him to find girls. It happened that my grandfather passed from a distance away, the Japanese Army thought he was a woman, and chased him; when they found out he was male they killed him with one shot.
Mr. Tong,
What is the progress of the claim for damage compensation against Japan? The Japanese Emperor, during his visit to China, made some unsatisfactory remarks and his apology to numerous Chinese victims carried little weight. We shall increase efforts to make the Japanese government offer a public, deep apology to the victims and their family members.
I am sending an article about how my grandfather was shot dead by a Japanese soldier and another signature form. What else can I do? Please tell me in the reply letter.
Best regards,
Changzhou Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute
30#, Lanling Road, Changzhou City
Postal code: 213001
Zhou Zhongyi
November 16, 1992
Signature for Demanding Damage Compensation Against Japan
About Damage Compensation Resulting from the Anti-Japanese War
Letter of Claims
Submitted to: International Court of Justice
Subject matter: A Japanese soldier shot my grandfather dead
Plaintiff: Zhou Zhongyi
Defendant: Japanese Government
One day in the late autumn of 1938 when the grain was harvested, my grandfather Zhou Rongquan paid a visit to his daughter’s house in Shunlongqiao near Nanxiashu, Wujin County. As soon as he arrived there, he was told that the Japanese had come to Nanxiashu. After a while, it’s said the Japanese had gone and the people were returning from Nanxiashu. As it was getting late, my grandfather decided to left for his house in Hexi Village, Zhumingqiao. On his way home, he found the dead body of Qian Jusheng, a resident from Nanxiashu who was just killed by the Japanese in a pinewood. In fact, the Japanese didn’t go far then. They caught a man called Zhu Yongsheng in Hedong Village, Zhu Mingqiao and asked him to find women for them. Just at that moment, they saw my grandfather crossing Huayan Bridge. My grandfather was short and wore a black velvet hat. It’s hard to tell whether he was a man or woman from half a li (1 li=500 meters) away. In order to get away, Zhu Yongsheng told the two Japanese soldiers that a woman was coming. The soldiers believed him and set him free and then went after my grandfather. When my grandfather saw the soldiers, he knew it was impossible to escape, so he left Huayan Bridge and hid among the woods near the river. After the two Japanese soldiers ran over and found out it was a man, they just took out a gun and shot him. There was a watchman in the village and he knew someone was killed when hearing the gunshot. After the Japanese soldiers left, he shouted, “Someone was shot dead at Huayan Bridge. It may be Zhou Rongquan”. At that time, my parents fled from home and hadn’t returned, so my uncle Zhou Kunzhi and a villager Yang Quanbao went to check the identity of the victim. They found out it was indeed my grandfather, who was already dead. By the time they carried him home using a door plate, my parents had come back. My father Zhou Kunzhi made arrangements for the funeral. The bullet went in from my grandfather’s head and came out from the front chest. My father asked Yang Quanbao, who was a carpenter, to make a coffin for my grandfather, but he refused because he was afraid the Japanese might come the next day and he wouldn’t have enough time to escape. So, my parents had no choice but use a crate to bury my grandfather. That’s how it was when my grandfather’s corpse was dug out during the Cultural Revolution.
The Japanese soldiers cruelly killed civilians for the sake of their sexual desire. It was a heinous crime. The debt must be repaid.
Witnesses:
Witness Zhu Peida, who lived in Hedong, Zhumingqiao, Nanxiashu, Wujin, Jiangsu
Qian Rongjin, then head of the town, who lived in Nanxiashu, Nanxiashu Town, Wujin, Jiangsu
My father Zhou Mingfu, who lived in Hexi, Zhumingqiao, Nanxiashu, Wujin, Jiangsu
My older female cousin Zhang Hefeng, who was then at our home and lived in Yaolu Village, Qianhuang, Wujin, Jiangsu
Witness of another victim Qian Xingyi, who lived in Nanxiashu, Nanxiashu Town, Wujin, Jiangsu, also knew about this matter.
November 15, 1992
Zhou Zhongyi
Changzhou Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Institute
