Date of letter:1996-06
Address of author:Yicheng County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province
Date of event:1943
Location of event:Yicheng County, Linfen City, Shanxi Province
Name of author:Tang Feng
Name(s) of victim(s):Tang Feng, Wang Fengying, Tang Feng’s daughterType of atrocity:Murders, Others, Sex Slaves(SL、MU、OT）
Other details:My original name is Li Qinxue, and now Tang Feng. I joined revolution in 1937; in 1943, due to betrayal by traitors, 6 underground workers were killed by the Japanese Army. At that moment I was forced to reveal my identity. Five days later namely in the morning of September 25, the Japanese came to my home but did not find me. They flew into rage and urged hounds to attack my wife Wang Fengying, my less than one-year-old child was suffocated to death by the Japanese Army. The Japanese also took away my family’s property including farming cattle before they left. Note: The envelope is missing
Mr. Tong Zeng,
Wish you good health and a happy family.
We don’t know each other. In early April, I received a letter from comrade Chang Zengxi, one of my battle companions, who was also from my village. He learned a piece of great political news (pursuing justice from Japan), which helped me know about you. I feel so lucky, and excited, and will be supportive. So, I am writing to express gratitude and congratulations.
After reading Chang’s letter and the content and format of the Chinese Civil Victim’s Letter of Claim for Compensation from Japan, my heart filled with hatred against Japanese imperialists and fascists. Memories of fighting the enemy along with six other comrades in early 1940s came back to me. I am determined to pursue justice and demand compensation for the six comrades who sacrificed their lives in the battle. (Written certificates are provided below.)
I am a survivor and an unfortunate victim. I am sending you two letters of complaint for your reading. If there is any inadequacy, please feel free to correct.
I admire and praise you for initiating the campaign of pursuing justice from Japan for millions of Chinese civil victims, for defending the dignity of the Chinese people, and for demanding compensation for the victims. You will be admired and supported by millions of Chinese people and the people around the world.
If the trial takes place in China, please inform me. I will attend and can be a witness against the defendant. I am determined to strongly support you and won’t give up until victory is won.
Wish you healthy.
Best regards,
Nanliang Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng County, Shanxi Province
Tang Feng (Personal seal)
79 years old
June 16, 1996
Chinese Civil Victim’s Letter of Claim for Compensation from Japan
Chinese Civil Victim
Tang Feng, 79 years old (Personal seal)
Wife Wang Fengying, 76 years old (Personal seal)
Nanliang Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng, Shanxi
June 6, 1996
Chinese Civil Victim’s Letter of Claim for Compensation from Japan
Plaintiff: Victim Tang Feng, also named Li Qinxue
Defendant: Japanese Government
Cause of action: The Japanese military police threatened my wife, burned our clothes, suffocated my baby girl to death and robbed us of property, including a cow.
Facts and grounds: My original name was Li Qinxue and my current name is Tang Feng. I am male, 79 and lives in Nanliang Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng, Shanxi. In April 1937, I joined the revolution and then enrolled in the Communist Party in August 1938. During Japan’s war of aggression against China, I was engaging in underground activities, primarily fighting the Japanese army, as a worker of the Enemy Work Station with the approval of the Party.
In the spring of 1943, after being arrested by the Japanese military police, Li Xuru, the head of No.4 Anti-Japanese District, betrayed the Party and the underground comrades. Six underground comrades were arrested consecutively, including Wang Yuanfu, the underground secretary of Yicheng County, Zhang Ju, the underground secretary of the sub-district, and comrades Dong Yuanliang, Kong Qingzhong, Gao Chonggui and Ren Yulin. All of them were killed by the Japanese military police.
At this critical moment, the County Committee decided to disclose my identity. So, I left my family and hometown for the County Committee in September 20, 1943. I changed my name to Tang Feng, and began to openly fight against the Japanese army. On the morning of September 25, just 4 or 5 days after I left, the Japanese military police, along with traitor Xu Deyi, a puppet policeman, suddenly showed up at my home and tried to arrest me. After knowing that I’d left, they were furious. They dragged my wife Wang Fengying out to the yard, pointed a gun at her chest, put a bayonet on her neck and let a police dog bite her. She had broken skin and bled. They threatened her, “Where is your husband?” My wife kept silent. They became so angry that they put our clothes on the stove to burn them. As the thick smoke filled up the house, my baby girl, who was less than 1 year old, was suffocated to death. My wife was so overwhelmed by fear and sorrow that she suffered from a neurological disorder since then and hasn’t ever fully recovered. In addition, the Japanese soldiers robbed us of over 500kg of seed cotton (two years crop), a head of cattle, and clothes, and also smashed our funiture, etc. The Japanese army committed unspeakable crimes.
Therefore, I sincerely request government officials to pursue justice and make a fair judgment according to regulations and guidelines of the international laws and demand a compensation of 15 million yen from the Japanese government to alleviate my hatred.
Ambassador Yoshiyasu SATO of the Japanese embassy in China, please forward this letter of claim to the Japanese government.
Chinese civil victim: Tang Feng (originally Li Qinxue) (Personal seal)
Wang Fengying (Personal seal)
June 6, 1996
Nanliang Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng, Shanxi
Evidence materials are attached below.
Certificate
I lived in the same compound with Li Qinxue (Tang Feng). On the morning of September 25, 1943 when I was 30 years old, several Japanese soldiers came to the compound to look for Li Qunxue. I said I didn’t know where he was. Then, they dragged his wife Wang Fengying out to the yard, pointed a gun at her chest, put a bayonet on her neck and asked her, “Where is your husband?” His wife kept silent. They became so angry that they let a dog bite her and put their clothes on the stove to burn them. The thick smoke suffocated their daughter to death. In addition, they robbed them of over 500kg of seed cotton and a head of cattle and robbed a big pig from me. This is to certify that the above facts stated by the plaintiff are all true.
Witness: Zhao Fengying, 83 years old (Fingerprint)
June 6, 1996
Certificate
This is to certify that Tang Feng, originally Li Qinxue, is a villager of our village and that his descriptions of suffering caused by the Japanese gendarmerie and the certificate provided by his neighbor Zhao Fengying are both true.
Villagers’ Committee of Nanliang Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng, Shanxi
(Villagers’ Committee seal)
June 6, 1996
Certificate
This is to certify that Tang Feng (originally Li Qinxue) is a villager of Nanliang Village under our jurisdiction, and that his and his wife Wang Fengying’s descriptions of suffering caused by the Japanese military police, and the certificates provided by their neighbor Zhao Fengying and the Villagers’ Committee are all true.
June 6, 1996
People’s Government of Nanliang Town, Yicheng, Shanxi (Personal seal)
Paralysis Hospital of Yicheng
Note: This certificate is invalid without the special seal of the hospital. June 12, 1988
Certificate
Patient Wang Fengying came to our hospital for treatment on June 12,1988. After one-week of observation, we found the following symptoms: depression, apathy, sometimes mumbling to herself, sometimes sad and sometimes happy, poor appetite, sometimes restless, hitting or swearing at others, sleepless for day and night, illusions and an inability to recognize her family, slightly yellow tongue and slippery pulse. The diagnosis is manic depression. According to the patient’s family members, Japanese soldiers came to her house to arrest her husband on the morning of September 25, 1943. They pointed a gun at her chest, put a bayonet on her neck, and let a dog bite her. Then, they tore Wang’s clothes and put them on the stove to burn them. The smoke suffocated her baby girl to death. Due to the heavy psychological trauma, Wang began to talk to herself, sometimes cry, or laugh, or hit or swear at other people. After the People’s Liberation, Wang received treatment in Taiyuan and Beijing, etc. where her illness was diagnosed as schizophrenia. Later, she received treatment in our hospital. Her illness is mainly caused by fear and sorrow for the death of her daughter. She suffers from Yin and Yang imbalance due to a heavy spiritual trauma. After several years of treatment in our hospital, she is in a better condition now, but still cannot take care of herself.
Traditional Chinese Paralysis Rehabilitation Hospital, Yicheng (Seal)
June 8, 1996
Excerpt from Weekly Digest on February 3, 1993
Pursuing Justice Against Japan
On December 9, 1992, the first international hearing on Japan’s post-war compensation was held in Thinking Auditorium, Kanda, Tokyo, Japan. Slave laborers and comfort women from many countries, including 8 from China, attended the hearing.
At the hearing, the person who found it most difficult to suppress his emotions might be Tong Zeng.
Tong Zeng is 37 years old from Chongqing, Sichuan. He once studied International Law at Sichuan University and Peking University where he obtained a master’s degree in law. He now works with the China Research Center on Aging (12F, Second District, Anhuaxili, Beijing).
One day in 1989, Tong Zeng read an article about Eastern European countries demanding compensation from East Germany and West Germany. He thought of what happened to China and a strong sense of national responsibility seized him and made him devote himself to what he’s going to do.
After studying extensive data, he wrote a 10,000-word opinion letter and submitted it to the Bureau for Letters and Calls of the General Office of the National People’s Congress.
Afterwards, he published in newspapers an article titled Enlightenment of Eastern European Countries’ Bringing up Again the Issue of War Reparations to China, in which he explained the difference between war reparations and damage compensation in accordance with the International Law. Soon, the article was reprinted by dozens of domestic newspapers such as People’s Daily and Worker’s Daily.
He has received groups of victims of Japan’s war of aggression against China who came to Beijing from all over the country. He has arranged meals and accommodation for them and repeatedly went to the Japanese Embassy in China to submit materials for the victims despite a round trip that takes over 4 hours between his home and the Japanese Embassy.
182 Chinese slave laborers from Shandong who were badly tortured in Japan came to Tong Zeng and Tong Zeng immediately submitted their materials to Japan, demanding a compensation of 5 million yen per person.
Over 20 Chinese students studying in Japan during the war time were suspected of being members of the Tokyo Branch of the Communist Party of China and were cruelly beaten by the Japanese army and only 4 of them survived. Tong Zeng submitted their materials to the Japanese Embassy in China.
Last August, a private school teacher from Meng County, Shanxi Province sent Tong Zeng the materials about several women forced to be comfort women for the Japanese army.
In August 1991, when Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu made a friendly visit to China, 108 Chinese citizens including Tong Zeng, Chen Jian, Yang Yi, Li Chengyi and Tang Xingwu sent Toshiki Kaifu a petition demanding damage compensation of 180 billion USD from Japan.
Thanks to the efforts of Tong Zeng and Chen Jian, etc., the issue of demanding compensation against Japan was discussed at the Fifth Session of the Seventh National People’s Congress in March 1992 and was listed as a formal proposal of the session.
Meanwhile, since August 1991, Tong Zeng, etc. have launched a massive signature campaign of “demanding damage compensation against Japan”.
Last March, Tong Zeng published a public letter to the Japanese Parliament through the Japanese press.
The public letter states that we will collect 100 million Chinese people’s signatures strongly demanding damage compensations against Japan until Japan makes a formal apology and compensation.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China said in a speech on March 11, 1992 that, civilian victims of the Anti-Japanese war could directly demand compensation for losses against Japan.
When replying to questions of a Japanese reporter before his visit to Japan in April 1992, General Secretary Jiang Zemin said that China has given up the claim for war reparations against Japan, but hasn’t set any limit to civilian claim for compensation.
Estimated based on the compensation amount demanded by other countries and in accordance with postwar international practice, Japanese invaders should in theory compensate about 300 billion USD for our losses. Among which there is about 120 billion USD of war reparations and about 180 billion USD of damage compensation. In 1972, the Chinese government only gave up about 120 billion USD of war reparations, but not 180 billion USD of damage compensation.
(By Yang Liwen in Sichuan News on January 16)
People’s Daily Six edition on December 21, 1995
On December 20, Tokyo District Court of Japan held the first trial on the case in which the survivors of the Hanaoka incident, and the family members of the dead victims sued the direct perpetrator Kajima Construction Company. In the following photo, Geng Zhun (middle) is interviewed by reporters in front of the court.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Lan Hongguang
Tokyo District Court holds a trial on the issue of salve labors
Plaintiffs including Geng Zhun charge the perpetrator with crimes
According to Xinhua News Agency in Tokyo, on December 20 (Reporter Jiang Ye), in court, the survivors of the Hanaoka incident and family members of the dead victims
personally charged the Japanese imperialists with the crime of kidnapping and abusing Chinese slave laborers.
Today, Tokyo District Court held the first trial on the case where the survivors of the Hanaoka incident and family members of the dead victims, a total of 11 people led by Geng Zhun, sued Kajima Construction Company – the perpetrator.
On this June 28, Geng Zhun, etc. filed a lawsuit to Tokyo District Court, disclosing that Kajima Construction Company brutally enslaved and abused Chinese slave laborers during Japanese imperialism’s invasion against China and demanded a public apology and economic compensation from Kajima Construction Company.
On June 30, 1945, over 700 Chinese slave laborers who were captured by the Japanese army, launched an uprising in Hanaoka, Akita in northeastern Japan (now Odate), as they couldn’t tolerate the brutal suppression and exploitation by the foremen any more. The uprising was suppressed by the Japanese policemen and over 130 Chinese slave labors were cruelly tortured and died. Statistics show that during August 1944 and November 1945, 418 out of 986 Chinese slave laborers who were engaged in a river improvement project by Kajima Construction Company died, including the victims of the Hanaoka incident.
Today, 5 plaintiffs including Geng Zhun, said at the court, that they hope the judge will make a fair judgment and that the direct perpetrator will be duly punished.
Chinese Civil Victim’s Letter of Claim for Compensation from Japan (reference format)
Plaintiff:
Defendant: Japanese Government
Cause of action:
Facts and grounds:
Compensation amount:
Evidence materials:
Note: Each letter of claim shall be in triplicate, with one sent to the Japanese embassy in China (postal code: 100600) and two sent to Mr. Tong Zeng (12F, Second District, Anhuaxili, Beijing, China Aging Research Center, postal code: 100011).
Ambassador Yoshiyasu SATO of the Japanese embassy in China, please forward this letter of claim to the Japanese government.
Chinese civil victim:
(Month) (Date), 1996
××Village××Town××County××Province
