Chinese Victims of Forced Labor Remembered in Hiroshima

Akiota, Hiroshima Pref., Oct. 20 (Jiji Press)–A memorial service has taken place in Hiroshima Prefecture for Chinese workers who died after being forcibly brought to the western Japan prefecture during World War II, including victims of the 1945 atomic bombing. The ceremony was organized in the town of Akiota on Sunday by a civic group dedicated to pass down the history of wartime forced labor involving Chinese victims. According to the group, 360 Chinese people were compelled to work by Nishimatsu Gumi Co., now Nishimatsu Construction Co., to build the Yasuno power plant in the town and 29 of them, including five victims of radiation from the U.S. atomic bomb detonated over the city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, died. Meng Xianfa, 55, attended the ceremony, held in the vicinity of the plant, from China’s Hebei Province to mourn his father, Zhaoen, who passed away in 2006 at age 83 after being exposed to the bomb when he was an inmate of Hiroshima Prison, close to ground zero. Noting that his father “had experienced great sufferings and narrowly escaped death” in Japan, Meng stressed, “We must squarely face history and make utmost efforts to prevent wars.” In 2009, Nishimatsu acknowledged its historical responsibility and apologized over the forced labor for the hydro plant construction. As part of a reconciliation project, the company put up near the plant a cenotaph engraved with all the forced laborers’ names. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]