"We were compensated, but the Japanese government did not apologize for all the sufferings we have been through," said Ding Shuwen, a victim injured by the chemical weapons buried in China by wartime Japanese troops.

Eight representatives of the chemical weapons victims and their relatives will commit a petition for an official apology to the Japanese government on August 4 to mark the anniversary of a chemical weapon leak two years ago.

The accident killed one and injured 43 others in Qiqihar, a city in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in 2003.

The Japanese government compensated 300 million yen, or about 20 million yuan (2.41 million US dollars), for the accident, but did not apologize.

"We want to ask the Japanese government to apologize and find other sites buried with chemical weapons, so that they will not injure other people," Ding said.

Ding, aged 26, had been collecting scraps in Qiqihar before he was injured when dealing with the bomb shells.

"With the help of Japanese lawyers, we will not only present the petition to the Japanese government, but also participate in various activities to reveal the truth in the war to the Japanese people," said Su Xiangxiang, a lawyer entrusted with the case.

"If the Japanese government can not give us a satisfactory reply, we are going to bring an accusation against the Japanese government in court," Su said.

"After more than one-year's work, the lawyers from China and Japan have made investigations into the accident six times and finished a report on the accident," Su said.

Leftover World War II Japanese munitions, including chemical weapons, have been frequently found in northeast China, left behind when the invading Japanese troops retreated from China in 1945.

"No one can change history but must face it. We hope we can get some explanation from Japan," said Wang Cheng, who was the most seriously hurt victim in the incident.

Source: Xinhua