A 76-year-old farmer from Hebei province, who was forced to work as a slave in Japan during WWII, will get free legal aid to help him sue a Japanese company in a Chinese court, according to sources with a non-government organization devoted to helping Chinese war victims.

Several lawyers and their law firms have agreed to offer legal assistance to former Chinese World War II laborers including Tian Chunsheng.

This will be the first time that lawyers have tried to seek redress through Chinese courts rather than courts in Japan, said Tong Zeng, who is the director of the federation that aids war victims.

Tian was forced to work in Japanese mines together with his father. On the way to Japan and during his labor service, he and other laborers were tortured and his father died there, according to Tian. At the end of 1945, Tian was rescued and returned to China.

"More and more Chinese WWII victims are aware of their rights nowadays since the federation began to claim compensation from relevant Japanese entities in 1990," Tong said.

"But most of the compensation suits have been rejected by the Japanese courts," Tong said, explaining why victims like Tian have chosen to file suits in China instead of going to Japan.

Several other of WWII victims and their relatives have also contacted the federation about using Chinese courts to claim compensation from Japanese companies and government.

Source: Xinhua