Chinese victims of toxic gas leakage accidents caused by Japanese abandoned chemical weapons asked the Japanese government on Tuesday to provide them with living and medical insurance.

The seven victims, who arrived in Japan on Friday, held a news conference in Tokyo late Tuesday. They also called on the Japanese government to clean up the chemical weapons abandoned in various areas around China by the invading imperial army during World War II as soon as possible

Ding Shuwen, 26, who suffered burns to much of his body when exposed to toxic mustard gas that leaked from a dumped container of the agent when he was working at a construction site in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, on Aug. 4, 2003, complained that the chemical toxic inflicted severe physical hurt and great spiritual agony on him, and deprived his family of happy life.

Still suffering from pain of wound and decrease of physical strength, eyesight and immunity, Ding asked the Japanese government to take proper measures to support his life, provide medical care and help him get rid of psychological pain, and urged the Japanese government to try its best to prevent such tragedy from happening again.

Feng Jiayuan, 12, also a victim of the Qiqihar toxic accident, said she always wake up from nightmare and is anxious about her future.

Liu Hao, 10, who suffered burns to his legs and hands from a mixture of mustard and lewisite gases from an old shell he was playing with in Dunhua of Jilin Province on July 23, 2004, said he is in a very bad physical condition and is suffering from aspiratory infection.

The group of victims, who planned to conclude their journey on Sunday, has met with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's Acting Secretary-General Ichiro Aisawaand and relevant officials of the Cabinet Ministry. Three of them will receive medical examination in the following days with help from Japan's civic groups.

The Japanese government estimates the country's imperial army abandoned a total of 700,000 chemical weapon shells in wide areas of northern and eastern China during the war, and has agreed to pay for 300 million yen (about 2.73 million U.S. dollars) to deal with the Qiqihar issue.

Japan has collected 37,000 shells since it began collection and disposal projects in September 2000, Cabinet Office officials said.

Source: Xinhua