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The Tokyo High Court on Thursday rejected compensation suits from a group of Chinese women who were raped by Japanese soldiers in World War II.
In the ruling, the court admitted the fact that they were raped by Japanese soldiers, but rejected the demand for compensation on the ground that the government was not supposed to be responsible to compensate for state actions according to the old constitution at that time.
The 10 women from China's Shanxi Province lodged the lawsuit in 1998 to the Tokyo District Court, asking the Japanese government to apologize and compensate. The first ruling made by the district court in 2003 also recognized the facts, yet turned down the compensation requirement. The plaintiffs appealed the judgment immediately.
None of the victims turned up on the court Thursday as four had passed away and the rest were unable to come due to bad health.
The ruling carried indignation of the plaintiffs. Yuko Nakashita, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, said the crimes committed by Japan had inflicted great damage on the Chinese victims physically and mentally. Yet, the Japanese government attempts to alienate itself responsibilities, which is not viable in the international community.
A young Japanese said he did not understand why the Japanese government refused to acknowledge the fact and to pay damages, and how it can forge friendly relationships with neighboring countries in this way.
Lawsuits brought up by Chinese for government compensations and apologies for sufferings during the Japanese invasion have routinely been rejected by Japanese courts.
In a latest case on March 18, the high court dismissed the same demands brought forward by two women who were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese troops in the war.
The plaintiffs' lawyers said they will appeal against Thursday's ruling.
(Xinhua News Agency April 1, 2005)
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