Tokyo court rejects compensation demand by Chinese massacre survivors

AP ^ | Fri Jun 28, 3:54 AM ET | AP

[Lake]

Tokyo court rejects compensation demand by Chinese massacre survivors
Fri Jun 28, 3:54 AM ET

TOKYO - A Tokyo court rejected compensation demands Friday made by three Chinese survivors of an alleged massacre by the Japanese army in 1932.

Presiding judge Yoichi Kikuchi rejected the claim, and Tokyo District Court spokesman Hideaki Wada declined to give details as to Kikuchi's reasoning.

Yang Baoshan, 79, Mo Desheng, 76, and Fang Surong, 74, had each filed for 2 million yen (dlrs 1.61 million) in compensation.

All three Chinese plaintiffs will remain in Japan to appeal the decision, their lawyer Akira Izumisawa said.

In what is known as the Pingdingshan Incident, the Japanese Imperial Army allegedly rounded up 3,000 villagers in northern Liaoning province on September 16, 1932 and opened fire on them for conspiring with Chinese guerrillas against the Japanese.

The Japanese government had asked the suit be rejected, arguing that the pre-World War II government of Japan never paid compensation for such claims, Kyodo News agency reported. The post-war government has also denied responsibility.

According to legal sources interviewed by Kyodo News, about 60 damages suits have been filed in Japan by foreigners for their suffering before or during World War II, but only four have won lower court decisions.

[stlrocket]

What!!!! No Reparations!!!!!

Racism without a doubt!

[Jeff Head]

"alleged massacre by the Japanese army in 1932"

They are in total denial it seems ... there is nothing alleged about it. It was a terrible, brutal fact involving hundreds of thousands.

[Lake]

The Japanese logic is: Because the pre-war Japanese government rejected the claim it is ok for the post-war Japanese government to reject it, which means the post-war Japanese will follow the steps of their ancestors. That's why China fears that Japan will invade China again in the future.

The Japanese government had asked the suit be rejected, arguing that the pre-World War II government of Japan never paid compensation for such claims, Kyodo News agency reported. The post-war government has also denied responsibility.

[Jeff Head]

My point is that there can be no denying that it happned. There is no doubt about the atrocious atrocity committed at Nanjing, or during Japanese occupation in general.

Whether or not claims and damges should be paid now is an entirely different matter.

The Japanese suffered a total, ignanomous defeat. Virutally every city (like in Germany) was raised and their nation was then remade in much of the image of the victors over the next two decades ... ie. Imperial Japan put away.

While it is true that there is always the danger that they might rise again ... that can be said of any agressor nation.

For example, I will believe Japan will and should pay damages ... when the current government of the PRC pays similar damages to the relatives of the millions upon millions who died or suffered similarly under Mao ... and to those from the Square ... and to Tibet.

As Sun Tsu would ... lead by example.

I don't think it is going to happen.