Osaka High Court rejects compensation demands by Chinese forced laborers

Japan's Osaka High Court Wednesday rejected demands of compensation sought by former Chinese laborers from Japanese government and a Japanese enterprise.

Presiding Judge Sota Tanaka recognized the fact that the plaintiffs were forcibly brought to Japan and were forced to work in nickel mines in Kyoto Prefecture during World War II, but maintained the local court ruling that Japan is exempt from responsibility for actions occurred before the national redress law took effect in 1947 and that the plaintiffs' right to claim compensation had expired the limitation of 20 years.

The four former Chinese forced laborers and the family members of two deceased laborers have decided to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.

The plaintiffs filed the damages suit to the Kyoto District Court in August 1998, demanding each be compensated 22 million yen (about 188,000 U.S. dollars), unpaid salaries included, by the Japanese state and Nippon Yakin, the owner of the mines.

Source: Xinhua