The Tokyo High Court upheld on Friday a lower court decision that rejected a damages suit filed by 42 Chinese victims of forced labor against the Japanese government and corporations.

The victims who were forced to labor in Japan during World War II and their family members said that they are not satisfied with the ruling and vowed to appeal for justice.

"I will continue to sue until we get justice," Lou Qinghai, a former laborer said to reporters in Tokyo after the ruling was passed.

Presiding Judge Nobuo Akatsuka recognized that the defendants are responsible for misconduct but dismissed the plaintiffs' appeal, citing their right to damages expired after a 20-year statute of limitation passed.

The judge said the defendants are responsible because the state took the lead in the forcible drafting of the laborers at the request of the industry, while the companies forced them to provide labor.

Liu Huanxin, son of the deceased former labor Liu Lianren said the ruling was "hypocritical", and urged the Japanese government to "have a correct attitude towards history and apologize to the former labors with real action."

In 1944-1945, the Japanese military forced many Chinese people living in Hebei province to work in Japanese mines and construction sites. A number of them were tortured to death.

In 1997, the former forced laborers and family members of the deceased laborers filed the suit, seeking about 840 million yen (7. 37 million U.S. dollars) in damages and unpaid wages as well as an apology to be printed in newspapers in Japan and China.

The Tokyo District Court rejected the suit in March 2003, saying the plaintiffs no longer have the right to claim damages based on a Civil Code provision setting a statute of limitations of 20 years.

The defendants were the state of Japan and 10 companies -- Hazama Corp., Nishimatsu Construction Co., Tekken Corp., Nittetsu Mining Co., Japan Energy Corp., Furukawa Co., Ube Industries Ltd., Dowa Mining Co., Tobishima Corp. and Mitsubishi Materials Corp.

A report from the Japanese Foreign Ministry showed that 38,935 Chinese people were forcibly taken to work in 135 mines and ports across Japan during WWII.

Source: Xinhua