The Tokyo District Court dismissed on Wednesday a damages suit
filed by eight women from south China's Hainan Province against the
Japanese government for forcing them to be "comfort women" for the
Japanese army during World War II.
Although having turned down the plaintiffs' demand, presiding
Judge Wataru Yao basically acknowledged their claims that they were
"abducted, confined, continuously beaten and raped by Japanese
soldiers."
The judge said the demand was rejected because what they
suffered happened before the National Redress Law went into force
in 1947, and their right to demand compensation no longer existed
because more than 20 years had elapsed.
For the Japanese government, it alleges that individuals have no
right to seek compensation under international law and that it has
no responsibility to compensate for acts conducted before the
National Redress Law was enacted after the war.
The plaintiffs' lawyers said they would appeal to a higher
court.
The suit was filed at the Tokyo District Court in July 2001,
with the demand that the Japanese government apologize for its
sins, restore the eight women's honor and give 23 million yen (some
US$196,000) to each in compensation.
Two of the eight have died and had their suit taken up by family
members.
Japanese courts have frequently rejected claims by foreign
victims of wartime atrocities committed by Japanese aggressor
troops under various excuses.
(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2006)
