Supplement to Claims against Japan

Bob Choi

10 December 2011

My friend, Tsang Yan, direct me to China Digital Times. I have never visited that site before. It seems like a very informative source.

We all know Japan war compensation is an old issue, one that has been pursued and investigated and trialed in Japanese courts in numerous occasions, all have so far been singularly unsuccessful. We shouldn't be surprised because the Japanese courts (like the highest law courts in most countries) would serve the interest of the country above all else. Filing a claim in Japanese courts against the Japanese government is simply barking up the wrong tree! One can substitute "China" for "Japan" in the previous sentence, and gets exactly the same result: no justice will be served!

Is the Japanese court the only venue for civilian victims of the Sino-Japanese war or is there some other international channel? That will be an area worth looking into. If there is no suitable international body to take up this cause, then maybe we need to start one from scratch.

I should make it clear that I hold nothing against the Japanese people. They are also victims of the war. But I am holding the Japanese government responsible. My motive is not so much for revenge or compensation as it's for closure and justice. I believe I am speaking for the majority when I say that we are prepared to forgive the Japanese government, but first they must acknowledge and apologize for what they did when they occupied China. There will be no pardon without penitence...that to me is the essence of simple justice. No political or economical considerations can impinge on this basic principle.

Attached email from Tsang Yan

Dear Bob,

I admire you for taking up such a very worthwhile good cause. There is some details disclosed in the following webapge:

http://chinadigitaltimes.net/china/japanese-war-compensation/

It appears to be a complex issue (having big political dimension) with both Washington and Beijing on the Japanese side to suppress any valid Japanese-war-compensation claims from the Chinese citizens. To me, German culture versus Japanese culture make a big difference on how they treat/compensate their victims of their war-crimes.

Amitabha
Best regards and Metta Tsang Yan