Three representatives of Chinese victims of forced laborers during World War II attend a press conference in Beijing, June 1, 2016. Japanese construction company Mitsubishi Materials Corp apologized and would pay compensation over its use of forced labor during World War II. The company would pay 100,000 yuan ($15,000) to each of the more than 3,000 Chinese victims and their families. It also expressed its sincere apologies regarding its historical responsibility to the former laborers, according to a statement. (Photo: China News Service/Jin Shuo)
Representatives of Chinese victims of forced labor for Japanese companies in World War II on Wednesday accepted an apology and compensation from Japan's Mitsubishi Materials, despite other groups' refusal to accept the settlement.
Three representatives of the laborers signed a deal with Mitsubishi on Wednesday morning in Beijing to accept the company's apology and 100,000 yuan ($15,200) in compensation for each victim or relative they represent, the China News Service reported.
In a statement sent to the Global Times, the three representatives said, "confession about the crimes committed by the Mitsubushi is the foundation of this settlement. The settlement is between us and the company, and we hope the Japanese government and relevant companies will make the right decision as soon as possible."
In the deal, Mitsubishi admitted having harmed the laborers and expressed their sincere apologies to victims and their relatives. The company also promised to erect a memorial to victims to remind more Japanese people of the country's history of forced labor, said the report.
Mitsubishi said about 39,000 Chinese laborers were forcibly taken to Japan, and 3,765 of them were compelled to work in poor conditions at Mitsubishi Mining Co, the firm's predecessor. According to the Xinhua News Agency, a total of 722 of those Chinese workers died.
Tong Zeng, chairman of the Chinese Association for Claiming Compensation from Japan, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the agreement "will be a milestone for our work."
"We respect, understand and support the choice made by the victims and the family members of those deceased. We also think highly of Mitsubishi Materials' attitude on the historical issues concerning Chinese forced labor, especially when the Japanese government and some enterprises are still blind to victims' needs," said Tong.
However, Kang Jian, an attorney representing another group of victims, said in a statement sent to the Global Times that Mitsubishi Materials has allegedly hired people to convince the victims' representatives that "nothing is more important than getting the money while they are alive" to mislead them into accepting the settlement.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying acknowledged the settlement at a regular Wednesday news conference. "Forced employment and slavery were grave sins committed under Japanese militarism during World War II," Hua said. "We request that the Japanese government properly and earnestly handle the issues left behind by history with an attitude of responsibility for this history."
