Forty-five Chinese plaintiffs yesterday lodged an appeal to Japan's Supreme Court over compensation for forced labor during World War II.

Two weeks ago the Fukuoka High Court dismissed a lawsuit filed against the Japanese government and two Japanese companies by the plaintiffs who were forced to work as laborers in Japan.

On March 9, the Fukuoka High court ruled 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."

However, it acknowledged that forcibly taking the Chinese to work in Fukuoka coal mines was an illegal act by the state and the companies.

The plaintiffs demanded the state, Mitsui Mining Co and Mitsubishi Materials Corp pay 1,035-million-yen (US$10.6 million) compensation.

(Shanghai Daily March 24, 2009)