Via Chinese News Agency, Tokyo, July 12^th (by Liu Jingshi): The stirring case of Liu Lianren, a victim enslaved by the Japanese corporation during the War, prosecuted the Japanese government was made the 1^st sentence by the Tokyo Local Court today. The Court sentenced the Japanese government of disobeying the “Relief Obligation” after the implement of “Nation Compensation Law”. And the Japanese government should pay 20 million yen according to the claim of the accuser as the “comfort”.
  Liu Lianren, born in Zhucheng County in Shandong, was deceived and captured by the Japanese army to Hokkaido北海道明治矿业株式会社所属的昭和矿业所as a dig and carry labor. In July of the next year, he could not bear the death threat of the Japanese gangers and escaped into the forest in Hokkaido. After the 13-year wild life in cave, he was found and sent back to China in 1958. His misery experience had caused a great shake in Japan.

Liu Lianren shook hands with the hunter 夸田清治who found him in 1995

  Suffering the ravages in body and soul, Liu Lianren has asked the Japanese government for the apology and compensation for many times since 1991. Not getting the reply, Liu prosecuted the Japanese government to Japanese court in March 1996. Through 23 court arguments, the Tokyo Local Court made the 1^st sentence finally today.
  In the sentence, the judge admitted the historical fact that the Japanese government captured the Chinese labors to do heavy work in Japan according to the national policy of “Transport in Chinese labors” at that time, and confirmed the experiences of Liu Lianren. But they only admitted the crime of “not fulfilling the relief obligation after the implement of international compensation law” on the 13-year escaping life of Liu. And they denied the accusations of disobeying the international law or the international unwritten law, the force labor treaty, the slave system prohibit treaty, the humanity principle and so on. Especially, the court denied the accuser’s compensation claim rights on “captured labors forcedly”, “forced labors to work”.
  Because Liu Lianren passed away in Sep last year, his son Liu Huanxin took part in today’s sentence. Liu Huanxin was glad to see the win of the 5-year case. He regarded the sentence as a great step on the compensation problems after the War, and hoped that this settlement would be helpful to other compensation cases. At the same time, he also pointed out that the sentence did not admit the war crimes of Japan and did not have the intention of apology either. He also hoped the Japanese government meditate the history seriously itself to promote the Sino-Japan friendship ever after.
  Being the 1^st sentence, the accused Japanese government still has the right to appeal to the Superior Court and may change the result at the end. Therefore, the “Committee of After-war Chinese Compensation Backup” and the lawyers of the  Japanese defending group sustained Liu Huanxin to continue his support seeking in the Japanese Premier Office and the Japanese Foreign Ministry. (Finished)     

    　 [From the Chinese News net, July 13^th, 2001, 09:23]