Chinese WWII bombing victim asks for apology

Wen Zhong, a 76-year-old bombing victim during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression has sent Japanese Prime Minister Abe a letter, asking for an apology from Japan for the massacre. He said in the letter that both Japanese and Chinese people were victims during the bombings in Chengdu, Chinanews.com reported.

Wen said, "My family sheltered under a door plank during the bombards on July 27, 1941, in Chengdu", which caused a loss of hearing in his left ear.

Japanese war planes conducted more than 20 bombards from 1938 to 1941 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, killing and injuring at least 3,400 people. In its biggest bombing action on July 27, 1941, now called 727 Massacre, 108 Japanese aircrafts were dispatched, and more than 300 bombs were dropped in the city, according to Chengdu city's annals.

"My mother's memory of the time still remains fresh. As long as she heard an air raid alarm, her legs shivered," Wen said. His mother is 100 years old this year. Wen said that his entire family was always extremely sensitive to an air raid alarm over the six years' bombing period.

Bombing victims from Chongqing and Chengdu started to demand compensation from Japan in 2006. Now, 188 victims have taken part in the claim, including at least 30 victims who have stated in court in Tokyo. The victims have finished 24th lawsuit until now.

"We should let Abe know our attitude through Japanese lawyers," Wen said while holding his two page letter..

"It's very difficult to ask the Japanese government to recognize the bombards," Japanese lawyer Ichinose Keiichirou said, "as time goes and witnesses die, there is a wall blocking the historic truth and Japanese government, which has to be removed by evidence."

A four member Japanese lawyers' delegation including Ichinose Keiichirou arrived in Chengdu on Dec 31, 2012. They met and informed the lawsuit progress to victims in Sichuan.

The delegation said the second phase of the present trail will start on March 12, 2013. Six new Chinese witnesses will be invited.