Kang Jian, one of the Chinese lawyers fighting for compensation
for survivors of the War of Resistance Against the Japanese
Invasion (1937-1945), received 60,000 yuan (US$7,390) in legal aid
funds from the Chinese Legal Aid Foundation and the
All-China Lawyers Association on Monday.
According to Kang, the money will help transport Chinese
plaintiffs, most of whom are in their eighties and nineties, to
courts in Japan. The money will also cover the cost of filing
documents.
"Legal aid plays an important role in our lawsuits," Kang said,
"But support from the public is even more valuable."
Despite the media publicity that the lawsuits have received,
public response has been lukemwarm at best. Since May, only
slightly over 10,000 yuan (US$1,230) have been donated by
individuals to the cause.
"China suffered a great deal in the Japanese invasion 60 years
ago" Zhang Xiufa, president of the China Legal Aid Foundation,
said. "To aid survivors seeking war compensation is justified. It's
an obligation for every Chinese lawyer."
Many Chinese women were forced to become sex slaves during the
war, while many men were enslaved in Japan. The groups filing
lawsuits against the Japanese government and various companies
integral to the Japanese war machine include survivors of the
Nanjing Massacre and sufferers of chemical warfare attacks.
But it's still an uphill struggle for the Chinese. In the last
10 years, Chinese lawyers and plaintiffs have won only one out of
25 cases.
(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2005)