By Ariel Lin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
TOKYO, Japan – A Japanese high court turned down two damages suit filed by Chinese nationals. According to Kyodo News reported, one case is brought by eight Chinese who were forced to work as laborers at a copper mine in Japan during World War II. The other lawsuit filed by a Chinese woman who was forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army.
The Chinese plaintiffs in both cases were seeking apologies and financial damages from the Japanese government for the acts of slavery during World War II. The suit, filed by eight plaintiffs in 2004, sought US$1.9 million dollars from Japan’s government and Mitsubishi Materials. Six out of the eight plaintiffs have died and were represented by relatives. Plaintiffs’ statement states they were among 241 Chinese were forced to work under harsh conditions at the copper mine while no wages were paid.
The other suit was filed by an eighty-three-year-old Chinese woman, Chen Jinyu, on behalf of all Chinese sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War II. Chen arrived in Japan to attend the second trial at the Japanese High Court, but she left with disappointments.
Japanese High Court Presiding Judge, Watanabe Hitoshi, says that the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique does not give the individual right to claim war reparations from Japanese government. China renounced any attempts to seek war compensation from Japan in the agreement. However, the Japanese court did recognize the female plaintiffs were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder because of the wrongful conducts and brutal behaviors by Japanese troops. The plaintiffs pledged to appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court.
For more information, please see:
Market Watch – Lawsuit from WWII sex slaves dismissed – 27 March 2009
StraitTimes – Court rejects WWII claim – 27 March 2009
XinHua – Japanese high court turns down lawsuit by Chinese forced laborers during WWII – 37 March 2009
XinHua – Tokyo court rejects damages suit filed by WWII Chinese sex slaves – 27 March 2009
