Japanese court refuses to compensate Chinese wartime victims

TOKYO, Tuesday (AFP) A Japanese court Tuesday rejected a compensation lawsuit filed by 10 Chinese survivors of Japanese atrocities including the 1937 Nanjing massacre, amid tension between the two nations over Tokyo's wartime past.

The decision by the Tokyo High Court is consistent with repeated rulings in Japan, which says any compensation for World War II crimes is a bilateral issue between countries rather than a case an individual can bring before the courts. The Tokyo High Court refused to hear an appeal by the women, whose case had already been dismissed by a district court. They can still go to the Supreme Court.

Plaintiffs left the courtroom holding a banner that read, "Unjust verdict." The plaintiffs had sought 100 million yen (930,000 dollars) for atrocities including the Nanjing massacre, bombings by Japanese forces and the "Unit 731" that performed medical experiments on humans.

Japan this month enraged China and South Korea by approving a textbook that downplays atrocities such as the Nanjing massacre - a week-long orgy of murder, rape and destruction by Japanese troops in the occupied city.

China has refused to apologize for the damage and said the real issue was Japan's alleged whitewashing of its bloody 1931-1945 occupation including the approval of the textbook.

Japan stresses it has apologized for its atrocities and points out that Chinese textbooks are no example of balance, vilifying the Japanese while making no mention of dark chapters in communist China.