A non-governmental fund, named "History, Human Rights and Peace", was established in Beijing Thursday to help Chinese victims of Japanese aggression file lawsuits demanding compensation from Japan and aid research on relevant historical facts.

"We established this fund with the aim to preserve historical truth, safeguard human rights, castigate evils and work with Japanese people to safeguard and develop friendly relations between the two countries," Lin Bocheng, secretary-general of the China Foundation for Human Rights Development, said at the inauguration ceremony.

After the Second World War, the Chinese Government renounced its demand for war reparation from Japan, but hasn't renounced the right of Chinese victims nor prevented them from asking for compensation from the Japanese side.

Nearly 30 compensation lawsuits have been filed since the 1980s but the road to justice is arduous. These lawsuits concern injuries from chemical weapons left in China by Japanese aggressors, comfort women, forced labor, bacteriological war and poison gas war.

According to Lin, the fund has so far collected 220,815 yuan (approximately 27, 227 US dollars), including 210,000 yuan (approximately 25, 894 dollars) from the China Foundation for Human Rights Development.

"This is an international fund. We welcome individuals and organizations from various countries, especially Japan, to contribute to the fund," said Wang Xuan, chief supervisor of the fund and head of the Chinese team of plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the bacteriological war of Japanese aggressors.

Lin said Germany established a special fund in 2000 to provide compensation to the Jews.

"We hope Japan will become the major contributor to this fund. We also hope relevant parties in Japan will take over the fund to provide adequate compensation to the Chinese victims," he said.

According to Lin, the fund has opened an account in the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to receive contributions. The number is 0200001409008817390.

Source: Xinhua