Date of letter:1992-10
Address of author:Jinhua County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province
Date of event:1942-1943
Location of event:Jinhua County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province
Name of author:Ni Yuanmao
Name(s) of victim(s):People in Jinhua County
Type of atrocity:Murders, Others, Rapes, Slave Laborers, Bio-Chemical Warfare(BC, MU, OT, RA, SL）
Other details:According to the mailed persecution info of a number of victims in Jinhua County during the Japanese invasion period, Xu Zhenyin was captured by the Japanese Army en route to seeing doctor in 1942. He was burned to death after being sprayed gasoline; Yao Ruqing was captured by the Japanese Army to dismantle railway, and the workload was heavy; Jiang Ziliang’s house was dismantled; Yi Azhi was raped by Japanese soldiers etc.
To the Comrade in charge of the Association of Claims for Civil Compensation from Japan,
I am sending you the list of the 6th group of victims. I am wondering whether you’ve received my last letter. Please take time to reply after receiving this letter to remove my worry.
My education and work backgrounds are described below:
After graduation from Jinhua Middle School in Zhejiang, I taught English and Math with several middle schools for over 20 years. As I like Law a lot, I entered myself for Beijing Renwen University and got admitted by passing the examination. In August 1989, I completed all courses required by the teaching program with satisfactory scores and was granted a graduation certificate.
I’ve actively supported the claims for compensation to the [unarmed] Chinese people who were killed for no reason by the Japanese army or whose houses and all furniture and farming tools in the houses were burned by the Japanese army during the Sino-Japanese war because my father was also killed by the Japanese army. I am working hard, despite difficulties, to motivate the relatives of the people who were killed by the Japanese army in Jinhua, Zhejiang. I want to become a member of the Association of Claims for Civil Compensation from Japan, is that Ok? Moreover, my diploma was sent to Leader Tong Zeng for review in early October. After you receive the letter, please discuss with other leaders about my request and give me a reply. I’ll stop here.
Wish you success with your work and good luck
Ni Yuanmao
October 20, 1992
A 2-jiao stamp is attached in the letter. Please do reply after receiving the letter to remove the worry of all victims in my hometown.
Signature for Demanding Damage Compensation from Japan
Business Daily, August 11 (3d edition)
Our government has never given up damage compensation against Japan
The Chinese government gave up war reparations against Japan in 1972, but it has never given up damage compensation. The Legal Daily of May 23 published an article by young jurist Tong Zeng, in which he explained the difference between war reparations and damage compensation in accordance with the International Law: War reparations are paid by the defeated country that launched the war to the invaded countries for their losses, while damage compensation is paid by the defeated country that launched the war for violating the laws of war and humanitarian principles during the war and for committing serious crimes to the people and property of the invaded countries. After the World War II, the Jews, Polish and French people claimed for a large amount of damage compensation on the grounds of Nazi persecution.
(Excerpt from Legal Daily)
During the Sino-Japanese War (May 25, 1942) after Jinhua fell, some of the villagers from villages near Bailongqiao, Jinhua, Zhejiang were shot to death, or captured as slave labors to demolish rails or build airports and died in the process, or raped and died. The list of dead victims is provided below:
A total of 23 victims are listed above.
The form is made by Ni Yuanmao (Personal seal).
October 19, 1992
Attachment
The facts about people being directly or indirectly killed or tortured to death by the Japanese army during the Sino-Japanese war are provided below:
① Victim Xu Zhenyin, male, then 37, Sanlukou Village, Chengnan. Reported by his son Xu Hongfu.
Several days before lunar April 12, 1942 after Jinhua fell, my father became mute after taking the medicine he was given by a doctor in the town. So, on lunar April 12, my father went to the town again to get some medicine. But he was captured by a Japanese soldier who suspected him to be a Chinese soldier. The Japanese soldier tied my father up, put him into a large bamboo basket, cover the basket with another basket, spray gas on it and set it to fire. Thus, the Japanese soldier brutally burned my father alive.
② Victim Xie Zengshou, male, hen 46, Daidian Village, Dongxiao
After Jinhua fell, the Japanese army would capture men and rape women every day. On lunar April 13, 1942, the Japanese army came to our village again. A Japanese soldier barged in my house to capture my father. My father immediately ran outside. The soldier took out his gun and shot my father dead.
③ Yao Ruqing, male, then 55, Daidian Village, Dongxiao
On lunar August 13, 1943 after Jinhua fell, my father was captured by the Japanese army and deceived by the traitors into demolishing rails in Jiangshan County. The work was extremely tiring, while the food was horribly bad. The slave labors lived a life as an animal. After a period, my father got sick due to heavy work and died not long after that due to the lack of medicine.
④Yi XX, female, then 35, XXX, Hanxiang
The information about this victim is reported by her daughter Jin XX, who lives in XXX, Dongxiao.
After Jinhua fell, the Japanese army often went out to raid and fight Chinese soldiers. On lunar April 20, 1942, the Japanese army carried out another raid on the foothill areas in Hanxiang. When passing XXX Village on their way, a Japanese soldier barged in our house. My mother was then a week away from having a delivery. The soldier found her and raped her. My mother died not long after that.
My mother died not long after she gave birth to a boy, who was starved to death not long after she died because there was no way to find a wet nurse in a war.
⑤Zhu Fengbiao, male, Zhujitou Village, Qiubin
On lunar April 11, 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army burned my family’s 3 buildings, 3 cottages and all furniture and farming tools in them.
⑥Jiang Ziliang, male, then 31, Jiangshantou Village, Qiubin
On lunar April 18, 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army, stationed in Jiangshantou Village, demolished all of my family’s houses to build forts. Our losses include 19 buildings, 19 bungalows and all furniture and farming tools in them.
⑦Jiang Ziliang, male, then 37, Jiangshantou Village, Qiubin
The Japanese army burned my family’s 14 (including 6 rice-polishing device houses and 4 weaving device houses) bungalows in Shiqiaotou Village (namely Shangling) and all tools and devices in them.
⑧ Victim Ni Qihong, male, then 39, Lvtangxia, Bailongqiao
In lunar mid-May 1942 after Jinhua fell, my whole family escaped to Jinzhuping, Nanshan to avoid the Japanese army that would capture men and rape women in my hometown. But after we stayed there for a few days, we ran out of rice, so my father had to return home to fetch some rice. Unfortunately, when my father reached near Shimen Village, he was captured by the Japanese army and forced to carry supplies for them. After he carried the supplies to Shimen Village, the Japanese army ordered him to cook by using furniture as firewood, he refused, so a Japanese soldier went furious and shot him dead.
⑨Tong Xiaodi, female, now 70, No. 11, Xinhua Street, Jinhua
In lunar mid-April 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army burned my family’s 4 buildings and all furniture and farming tools in them for no reason.
(10) Zhu Pinji, male, then 41, Zhujitou Village, Qiubin, Jinhua
In lunar May 1942 after Jinhua fell, my oldest uncle was captured by the Japanese army because they expected him to be a Chinese soldier. When they escorted him to Wuyi County, they beat him hard with the gun butt and then poured muddy water into his mouth and nose. After various physical punishments, my oldest uncle couldn’t bear it anymore and died in Wuyi not long after that.
(11) Victim Chen Deming, male, then 50, Chenhu Village, Xiqian, Lipu
One day after Jinhua fell, when my father was farming in the field, the Japanese army captured him and sent him (from Jinhua to Wuyi) to build railways. The work was extremely tiring while the food was terribly bad and not hygienic. After working for a period, my father became very weak. Afterwards, he was so brutally beaten by the Japanese army that he became disabled. Three days later, my father died.
(12) Chen Zhouzhou, female, now 68, No. 6, Avenue 14, Shuimen, Wucheng, Jinhua
After Jinhua fell, the Japanese army burned my family’s one building and all furniture and farming tools in it. At that time, my family lived in Chenhu Village, Xiqian, Lipu.
(13) Ye Hongji, male, now 57, Zhuangyuanfang, Jiefang Road, Wucheng,Jinhua
After Jinhua fell, the Japanese army burned my family’s 3 bungalows and all furniture and farming tools in them. At that time, my family lived in Xixia Street in Jinhua, where our 3 houses were also burnt by the Japanese army.
(14) Victim Ye Guangdi, male, then 61, No. 10, Zhuangyuanfang, Jiefang Road, Wucheng, Jinhua
On lunar April 13, 1942 after Jinhua fell, my whole family escaped to my grandmother’s house in Wangjia Village, Yaban for shelter. Later, as the Japanese army came to Wangjia Village, my whole family escaped to a mountain for shelter. But we didn’t have a pot to cook food in, so my father had to return home to get one. Unfortunately, he was found by the Japanese army and shot dead.
(15) Victim Wu Guizhu, female, now 52, No. 10, Zhuangyuanfang, Jiefang Road, Wucheng, Jinhua
In lunar late April 1942 after Lanxi fell, the Japanese army burned all the houses in my village, including my family’s 3 buildings and all furniture and farming tools in them. Back then, my family lived in Pailing Village, Xiqian, Lanxi.
(16) Victim Wang Gendi, female, then 32, now lives at No. 10, Zhuangyuanfang, Jiefang Road, Wucheng, Jinhua.
After Lanxi fell, the Japanese army burned all of my family’s houses, causing us homeless. My parents had no choice but live in a temple with me in Zhangtang to avoid the Japanese army. Unfortunately, my mother mistakenly took bacterial poison put down by the Japanese army and died not long after that despite treatment.
(17) Victim Ni Gennai, male, then 22, Yi Village, Bailongqiao
On lunar April 14, 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army came to Yi Village to rape women. At that time, my older brother was captured by the Japanese army and ordered to capture women with them. After my older brother refused, a Japanese soldier bayoneted him to death.
(18) Ni Baosheng, male, now 53, Yi Village, Bailongqiao
On lunar August 18, 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army came to Yi Village and burned my family’s 5 buildings and all furniture and farming tools in them.
(19) Ni Qiming, male, now 65, Yi Village, Bailongqiao
On lunar August 18, 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army came to Yi Village and burned my family’s 3 buildings, 2 bungalows (kitchen, cowshed and pigsty) and all furniture and farming tools in them.
(20) Ni Yaochun, male, then 41, Yi Village, Bailongqiao
On lunar April 19, 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army came to Yi Village to capture men. Unfortunately, they captured my father and wanted him to be a slave labor. My father refused and tried to run away. So a Japanese soldier shot him dead with a rifle.
(21) Ni Zujian, male, now 64, Shimen Village, Changshan
In lunar mid-April 1942 after Jinhua fell, the Japanese army came to my village and demolished my family’s 3 buildings and 1 bungalow to build forts.
(22) Victim Ni Falun, male, then 45, Yi Village, Bailongqiao
On lunar August 16, 1942 after Jinhua fell, a Japanese soldier entered our house and tried to rape my mother. My indignant father pulled my mother over. The soldier went furious. He stabbed my father in the head with a hook and then beat him in the chest and waist with the gun butt. My father bled heavily and died on the spot.
(23) Ni Jinsheng, male, now 58, Yi Village, Bailongqiao
After Jinhua fell, the Japanese army burned my family’s 7 buildings, 1 bungalow and all furniture and farming tools in them.
The 6th group of 23 victims are listed above.
The form is made by Ni Yuanmao (Personal seal)
October 20, 1992
