Eighty-three-year-old Chen Jinyu (C in front), a sex slave for Japanese soldiers in World War Two, is surrounded by reporters and supporters outside of the Tokyo High Court in Japan, March 26, 2009. On behalf of all Chinese sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War Two, Chen arrived in Japan to attend the second trial at the Tokyo High Court on a suit of Chinese sex slaves in Hainan but failed in the case. (Xinhua/Sun Wei) Photo Gallery>>>

    TOKYO, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The Tokyo High Court on Thursday dismissed a suit filed by victims from China's Hainan Province seeking damages and apologies from the Japanese government for forcing them to be "comfort women" for the Japanese army during World War II.

    Presiding Judge Watanabe Hitoshi gave the ruling that the individual Chinese has no right to demand compensation from Japan as the right was abandoned under the 1972 Japan-China Joint Communique, in which Beijing "renounced its war reparation from Japan."

Eighty-three-year-old Chen Jinyu, a sex slave for Japanese soldiers in World War Two, waits outside of the Tokyo High Court in Japan, March 26, 2009. On behalf of all Chinese sex slaves for Japanese soldiers in World War Two, Chen arrived in Japan to attend the second trial at the Tokyo High Court on a suit of Chinese sex slaves in Hainan but failed in the case. (Xinhua/Sun Wei) Photo Gallery>>>

    The court, however, recognized that the plaintiffs were abducted, confined and raped by Japanese soldiers and have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the Japanese soldiers' brutal behaviors.

    Indignant about the adjudication, the plaintiffs pledged to appeal to the Japanese Supreme Court and vowed to contend for their rightful demand till the last breath.

    The plaintiffs filed the suit with the Tokyo District Court in July 2001, demanding that the Japanese government apologize for its wartime atrocities, rehabilitate their reputation and give 23 million yen (235,000 U.S. dollars) each in compensation. The court turned down their suit on August 30, 2006.



Chinese victims of Japanese germ warfare set up society to protect rights
 
    HANGZHOU, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese who were injured in germ warfare launched by invading Japanese troops during the World War II, have established a society to better protect their rights.

    The establishment of the Society for Victims of Japanese Germ Warfare in east China's coastal city of Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, was approved by the Yiwu municipal civil administration Wednesday. Full story