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Comrade Dai Shouhui,

　　I am a retired cadre.

　　With strong national pride and patriotism, I indignantly charge Japanese imperialists with the heinous crime of burying my father alive during Japan’s war of aggression against China and solemnly demand an apology and compensation from the Japanese government to defend the dignity of the Chinese nation.

　　Therefore, please be understanding and supportive and forward my report to the CPPCC Standing Committee. I sincerely hope that the CPPCC Standing Committee will support the family members of victims like me in our just act.

Best regards,

Zhang Tingyu
March 1994

Attached: 1. A report to the CPPCC Standing Committee
2. Letter of accusation
3. A magazine
4. Signature publicity materials

Comrade Dai Shouhui:

　　The proposal about demanding an apology and compensation from the Japanese government for Chinese victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China submitted this year by one senior intellectual to the Two Sessions has caused great response at home and abroad. It has been reported by many news agencies such as Agence France Presse of France, United Press International of the United States, Reuters of the UK, Kyodo News of Japan, and Overseas Chinese Daily, Ming Pao Daily News and Oriental Daily of Hong Kong. Some NPC representatives and CPPCC members made a speech and submitted a proposal about this issue during the Two Sessions.

　　Next years, we will continue to submit a proposal during the Two Sessions. Hopefully, we can contact more senior intellectuals, well-known public figures and family members of victims to participate and contact some NPC representatives and CPPCC members to discuss about this issue.

Best regards,

Contact person: Zhang Tingyu
July 1993

Demanding Justice and Compensation from the Japanese Government

-A letter to the Japanese Embassy in the People’s Republic of China
(3rd letter of accusation)

　　From 1931 to 1945, Japanese imperialists launched the atrocious war of aggression against China. During the invasion Japanese army committed numerous crimes by killing, burning and raping.

　　I hereby demand justice and compensation from the Japanese government, which is a just act that protests against trampling human rights and is in line with international practice. As a family member of a direct victim of Japan’s war of aggression against China, I am determined to support and participate in this patriotic, just activity.

Serious Charges:
　　My father, Zhang Kuien, with a courtesy name of Yuanze, studied abroad in Japan. After returning to China, he worked in the Railway Bureau. When he served as head of the Engineering Department of Sitao Railway Bureau, he offended the Japanese by boycotting the poor-quality rails provided by them. Before the September 18 Incident, my father was appointed as head of the Taosuo Railway Bureau to develop Xing’anling, so my whole family moved to Baichengzi. On the night of the September 18 Incident, the head of Taoan County Liu Mingjiu came to our house after getting the news of the Japanese army’s invasion of China and attempted to discuss with my father about pleading with the Japanese army for “protecting” Baichengzi. My father not only solemnly rejected such shameless traitor act, but scolded him. But instead of giving up, Liu came to our house repeatedly to convince my father. At last, my father couldn’t tolerate it anymore, so he gave Liu a good beating. Thus, Liu formed a grudge against my father.

　　As the situation intensified, good people advised my father to stop construction and dismiss employees, but my father thought although the construction couldn’t continue temporarily, they shouldn’t easily quit job and escape away. Afterwards, as the head of the Finance Department ran away absconded with embezzled money, causing difficulties to the project, my father asked people to send my mother and us five siblings to Peiping, but he remained in Baichengzi with the employees. At that time, the Japanese army frequently appeared in Baichengzi and anti-Japanese activities were also active. Meanwhile, my father got into contact with anti-Japanese leader Ma Zhanshan and often provided him with information about the Japanese army’s activities in Baichengzi.

　　As my father was loyal to the country and helped fight the Japanese, he was betrayed by the traitor Liu Mingjiu who claimed that my father was with the army of volunteers and hid guns in his house, etc. So my father was captured by the Japanese army. My father knew well that something bad was about to happen when he was arrested, but he showed no fear and left home calmly. The Japanese viewed my father as a man of talent, so they tried to lure him into surrender by offering him position as the head of the bureau of four railways including Sitao, Taosuo, Taoang and Qike. But father decisively rejected them. Then, they Japanese began to use cruel punishment on my father, but my father would rather die than surrender. As the Japanese couldn’t persuade my father by using soft or tough measures, they decided to hold him in prison temporarily and wait for their superior to handle the situation. During the period of imprisonment, my father attempted to kill himself by crashing himself into the heater when catching the Japanese soldiers off guard, but the Japanese soldiers caught him and angrily tied him to the bed. So my father decided to fight by not eating or drinking anything. The Japanese ran out of means, so they asked my father to return to the Railway Bureau to “hand over” work. Three days later, the Japanese army escorted my father to the residence of Zhang Haipeng, a traitor in Taonan. Zhang tried to persuade my father to surrender, but was firmly rejected. Finally, the traitor Zhang Haipeng became furious, so he, along with the Japanese army, buried my father alive! My father was only 36 at the time. A good friend of my father said, “Yuanze would rather die than be a traitor; he died with honor! Even the Japanese friends who knew this felt sorry for my father and showed respect to him by gesturing a thumbs-up.”

　　After my father was cruelly killed, we five siblings fled for shelter with our mother and lived in the residence of Wang Zhongshi, a good friend of my father. He also studied abroad in Japan and after returning to China, he served as the head of the Materials Department of the Sitao Railway Bureau. He also offended the Japanese due to the issue of materials and the Japanese hated him. At that time, he also worked in Baichengzi as the head of the government office of Tongken, Xing’an. Uncle Wang lived with my family after dismissing the employees of the railway bureau and remained in Baichengzi with my father to resist the Japanese. When knowing that the Japanese army was coming for them, my father asked Uncle Wang to disguise himself and escape first and asked him for a favor, “If anything happens to me, I hope you can adopt my children…” On the second day after Uncle Wang left, my father was killed. Soon, the bad news came. My mother, carrying my only 8-month-old younger brother and looking at my sick older brother and my younger sister who caught a scarlet fever, cried her heart out in tears all day. How could I ever forget the broken, homeless, miserable life? How could I not demand the Japanese army to repay the debt?

　　During the 8-year anti-Japanese war, in order to escape from the life of colonial slaves, my mother and we five siblings followed my father’s good friend Uncle Wang to Southern China. Although Uncle Wang worked in the railway bureau, it’s very difficult for him to feed 14 people, 8 of which were from his family and 6 from my family. At that time, we children would consciously go out to do any job we could find such as growing vegetables and doing manual work. My older sister even secretly sold blood to feed the family. To reduce the burden of the adults, we little kids would help them do housework and often dig wild vegetables to eat. In the time of war, there was no chance and money for us to study, so we were out of school for 8 years.

　　The vast land of China was gradually swallowed by Japan. Apart from the Japanese army’s killing, burning and raping on the land, Japanese planes would come every day to heavily bomb us. Sometimes, we would hide in a cave for the whole day without eating anything. Sometimes when Japanese planes came in the middle of night, we had to get up and run. When the air-raid alarm was over, we walked out of the cave only to see collapsed houses, thick smoke and hear non-stop crying. Our house was bombed twice. All property in it was gone, so we became homeless and had no choice but to set up a temporary hut for shelter. We miserably struggled to live. How could I forget that?

　　After the People’s Liberation, traitors Zhang Haipeng and Liu Mingjiu were spat at by the people and got what they deserved. But the debts the Japanese imperialists owe the Chinese people have never been repaid!

How time flies! Since 63 years have passed, the elderly of my family have passed away. We four sisters survived and have the chance to demand justice from the Japanese government. Exhonorating my father and all other victims from Japanese Imperial Army’s persecution is a sacred duty of all family members of the victims.

　　To defend the dignity of the motherland, the Sublime interests of the Chinese people, the human’s rights, peace and happiness and to prevent from the resurrection of Japanese imperialism, the family members of thousands of victims like us firmly demand an apology and compensation from the Japanese government.

　　The Japanese government must apologize (to the victims and their family)!

　　The Japanese government must compensate (the victims and their family)!

　　We firmly believe that we will receive support and understanding from the Japanese people and sensible Japanese government officials.

Family members of the victim:
First daughter Zhang Guoying
Second daughter Zhang Tingqi
Third daughter Zhang Tingyu
Fourth Daughter Zhang Size

Note: Yi Shi Newspaper published an article about Zhang Kuien’s heroic sacrifice in Beijing and Tianjin.