Legal-aid fund for war victims
30/7/2005 9:03
China yesterday set up a legal-aid fund to help victims of Japan's war of
aggression to sue in Japanese courts while they seek compensation from the
Japanese government and companies involved.
The fund, with a starting sum of
300,000 yuan (US$37,040), was jointly launched by the All-China Lawyers'
Association and the China Legal Aid Foundation.
Yu Ning, president of the
All-China Lawyers' Association, said at a press conference in Beijing that the
special fund is aimed at offering money to Chinese wartime victims who plan to
launch compensation proceedings and also to Chinese lawyers who uphold justice
for the Chinese victims.
This fund will be a great stimulation and support
for the Chinese lawyers who work voluntarily for the wartime sufferers and
safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, and will help oblige those in
Japan held responsible to apologize and compensate for their past atrocities by
legal procedures, Yu said.
Takahashi Tohru, Japanese lawyer and head of the
Japanese lawyer team helping Chinese wartime sufferers demand compensation from
Tokyo, said one of the major difficulties for Chinese war sufferers to win their
litigation was lack of money. The plaintiffs did not have enough money to
collect evidence and lawyers have no money to conduct their field
studies.
"The legal aid fund will be enlarged by accepting donations from
individuals or social organizations, and lawful earnings from investment," said
Chen Yiwei, deputy secretary-general of the lawful aid foundation.
"We will
put into use this special fund in strict accordance with the regulations on the
use of special fund issued by the State Council," Chen said.
Chinese victims
of Japan's aggressive war, including sex slaves, survivors of the infamous
Nanjing Massacre and sufferers of the remnant gas bombs, began their efforts to
seek war compensation from Japan in the 1980s.
To date, 25 lawsuits by
Chinese victims asking compensation from Japan have been accepted and tried by
Japanese courts, but the plaintiffs have all been losers.
Xinhua
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