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souvenir
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Japanese firm agrees to pay World War II Chinese laborers

A protracted legal effort by a group of former Chinese laborers, who were forced to work under intense conditions during World War II by Japanese forces, has come to an end.

Under a deal, some 360 Chinese laborers who were ordered to work for Japan's Nishimatsu Construction Co during World War II will receive 250 million yen ($2.77 million) from the company.

The deal comes after three lawsuits over the past 16 years, according to local Qilu Evening News.

Seventy-nine out of 120 survivors attended the settlement meeting Monday in Qingdao, Shandong Province.

According to the settlement, each victim will receive 6 million yen ($ 66,434) in compensation, or just over 454,000 yuan ($66,481) each, while the rest of the money will be used to construct a memorial in the prefecture and to search for 240 missing victims or their families.

"This is the first formal apology by a Japanese company that hurt Chinese nationals during World War II," said Professor Liu Baochen from Hebei University, who began researching laborer issues in 1988.

In 1944, the 360 Chinese were forced by Nishimatsu Construction to go and work under severe conditions at
a site in Hiroshima prefecture to construct a power plant. Among them, 29 laborers died either from torture or on the ship back to China after Japan surrendered in 1945.

Japanese citizens and civil organizations worked long to reach a solution, according to the newspaper.

"We established some societies to publicize the laborers' sufferings and let more people know the sins of the country," said Yoko Kawahara, a society leader.

Kawahara said she heard the nightmare experiences from the victims in Qingdao in April 1992 with the assistance of the group's lawyer, Liu Baochen.

An elderly named Yu Zhengkun told her that three fingers on his right hand were cut off by a machine when he worked at a cigarette factory in Japan, and he lost the ability to work when he returned to China.

"When he asked 'how to compensate me', I was speechless; I had the idea to help the victims to ask back the money from then on," she said.

Moreover, seven members of the society bought shares of Nishimatsu Construction to earn the right to speak at the company's annual shareholders meeting, placing pressure on the company and reminded them of the pending case.

In 1998, five war laborers demanded that Nishimatsu apologize and pay damages of 5.5 million yen ($60,439) to each person.

In April 2007, Supreme Court in Japan turned down the lawsuit, claiming that individuals from China have no rights to war reparation claims from Japan because China gave up that right under the Japan- China Joint Statement signed in 1972.

Many Chinese senior victims went to the courts in Japan in recent years over comfort women, forced labor, toxic gas and others. But few of them won the suits.

2009-11-4 11:14 AM

huang262
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Looks like the Japs are starting to bow. The only thing they respect is power.

2009-11-4 11:30 AM

souvenir
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only when china is as powerful as the states, Japan will fully admits its war crimes.

2009-11-4 11:36 AM

satsu_jin
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by huang262 at 2009-11-4 12:30
Looks like the Japs are starting to bow. The only thing they respect is power.

Very human, isn't it?

2009-11-4 11:38 AM

huang262
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by satsu_jin at 2009-11-4 11:38

Very human, isn't it?

Were the Nazis human?

2009-11-4 12:23 PM

wowzers (Andrew)
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by huang262 at 2009-11-4 11:30
Looks like the Japs are starting to bow. The only thing they respect is power.

"Japs" Is a derogatory term used for the Japanese people. (Consult any dictionary for confirmation)
There is way too much bigotry and hate speech on this BBS.
A moderator should lead by example and not be contributing more of the same

[ Last edited by wowzers at 2009-11-4 12:56 PM ]

2009-11-4 12:54 PM

harmless
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by wowzers at 2009-11-4 12:54

"Japs" Is a derogatory term used for the Japanese people. (Consult any dictionary for confirmation)
There is way too much bigotry and hate speech on this BBS.
A moderator sh ...

I am fully with you wowzers.

2009-11-4 01:03 PM

satsu_jin
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by huang262 at 2009-11-4 13:23

Were the Nazis human?

Too sad - you missed again the point. We were talking about people respecting power.

Other than that, what do present day Japanese have in common with Nazis. Any substantial explanation?

Other than that I agree with # 6 and #7.

2009-11-4 01:16 PM

Exergy
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by souvenir at 2009-11-4 11:14
A protracted legal effort by a group of former Chinese laborers, who were forced to work under intense conditions during World War II by Japanese forces, has come to an end.

Under a deal, some 3 ...

I think the payment is excessive.  When even in today's china a wrongful death is only cause for a few thousand dollars and a years labor average amounts to only $4000 I think that $60,000 is too much.
If the court decides that what the Japanese corporation did was that wrong, then the punitive money should be split up and donated to Chinese charities funding a school, hospital, road, or other public service.  Some money can also go to cover the legal fees, but I dont think everyone should get such a large pay out for each individual.

Also why is this company being targeted for the suit.  The argument should be that they unduly profited.  But as the power plant was in Shandong, and the japanese did not rule shandong for very long, the idea that they profited from the illegal labor is hard to prove.

2009-11-4 01:28 PM

satsu_jin
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by Exergy at 2009-11-4 14:28

I think the payment is excessive. When even in today's china a wrongful death is only cause for a few thousand dollars and a years labor average amounts to only $4000 I think that $60,000 is ...

The plant wasn't in Shandong Province but in Hiroshima Prefecture where hundreds of foreigners, not only from China, were working as forced laborers. Afaik this is the first time that a Japanese corporation agreed to pay compensation.

2009-11-4 01:36 PM

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greendragon
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Reply #5 huang262's post

Nazi = NAsional SocIalist!

ha ha ha

know what that means?

Green DRagon
Game Master

2009-11-4 01:37 PM

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huang262
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by wowzers at 2009-11-4 12:54
"Japs" Is a derogatory term used for the Japanese people. (Consult any dictionary for confirmation)
There is way too much bigotry and hate speech on this BBS.
A moderator sh ...

Japan conducted a genocidal war to enslave the Chinese people and you're telling me I can't call them Japs? We paid for that right with our blood!

Does America have to right to make a movie about Jews torturing Germans?

2009-11-4 02:06 PM

#12

wowzers (Andrew)
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by huang262 at 2009-11-4 14:06

Japan conducted a genocidal war to enslave the Chinese people and you're telling me I can't call them Japs?

I'm not telling you that you can't call them "Japs" but I am telling you that is considered hate speech.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
And perpetuating hate never solves anything.
In fact, it does the opposite, it only cause more problems and reciprocal hate.

As a "moderator" you have a responsibility to lead by example.
It comes as no surprise to me that there is so much hate here when people like you have the position of "moderator".

And trying to change the subject doesn't let you off the hook.

2009-11-4 02:15 PM

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Exergy
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by huang262 at 2009-11-4 14:06

Japan conducted a genocidal war to enslave the Chinese people and you're telling me I can't call them Japs? We paid for that right with our blood!

Does America have to right to make a movie ...

Japan of the first half of the 20th century did things like that. The japan of today has little in common with them.Most of its population was born after that (79% of the population is under 65) Of the remaining 21% that were alive during the Imperial Japan era, 65% are women, the remaining men were mostly too young to have done anything. It can safely be assumed that almost all the war criminals are dead, and that the sons of war criminals are retired. Your hatred is against the grandchildren or younger. You have earned nothing.

2009-11-4 02:44 PM

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harmless
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by wowzers at 2009-11-4 14:15

I'm not telling you that you can't call them "Japs" but I am telling you that is considered hate speech.
Two wrongs don't make a right.
And perpetuating hate never solves anything.
...

Good statement and perfectly right.

2009-11-4 03:28 PM

#15

satsu_jin
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by Exergy at 2009-11-4 15:44

Japan of the first half of the 20th century did things like that. The japan of today has little in common with them.Most of its population was born after that (79% of the population is under 6 ...

There is a vast difference of perception between Chinese citizens and the generation who left China ages ago.

Present day Japan is a very attractive destination for many Chinese which is reflected in the ever increasing number of Chinese who study here or who marry a Japanese partner. I'm not sure whether you know Tokyo well enough but if you walk in Shinjuku district it is almost as common to see and hear Chinese as it is to see and hear Japanese and the trend is increasing. Chinese -in meantime- have overtaken Koreans as the largest foreign resident group in this country.

2009-11-4 03:37 PM

#16

wowzers (Andrew)
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There is a lot of love for Japanese culture among today's Chinese youth. (Food, anime, music, fashion)
But underneath all of that there is (amongst some) to be found a simmering hatred.

And there are those who would like nothing more to right what they see as unfinished business.
This I believe is taught to them by older generations who have no love for contemporary Japanese culture.

My hope is that between these two opposing forces, a middle ground will emerge.
The peace and well-being of future generations is dependent upon that outcome.

2009-11-4 03:48 PM

#17

caringhk (O Sweetie&Me go laojia. ..)
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QUOTE:

it is good that wow wow jab this lame mod

i think i am allowed to called them japs but i rarely use it la

my mummy used to tell us how the japs soldiers

throw babies

into the air

& bayonet thier bellies open

2009-11-4 03:54 PM

#18

caringhk (O Sweetie&Me go laojia. ..)
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by satsu_jin at 2009-11-4 13:36

The plant wasn't in Shandong Province but in Hiroshima Prefecture where hundreds of foreigners, not only from China, were working as forced laborers. Afaik this is the first time that a Japanes ...

hw about payments for the railway of death

- Burma,Thai,Malai........????

2009-11-4 03:56 PM

#19

satsu_jin
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QUOTE:

Originally posted by caringhk at 2009-11-4 16:56

hw about payments for the railway of death

- Burma,Thai,Malai........????

Is this a Chinese affair??

Ask your own government(s) to settle the claim.

2009-11-4 04:01 PM

#20

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