Asia Pacific Daily News - Focus on Asia-Pacific Development, Daily News Express, Scholar Creation Center

No appeal of Japanese 228 victim compensation ruling: foundation

CNA

CNA

text

(CNA)TheMemorialFoundationof228hasdecidednottoappealacourtrulingthatthesonofaJapanesemanbelievedtohavebeenkilledduringthe228IncidentiseligibleforNT$6million(US$180,061)incompensationforhisfather'sdeath.

TheTaipeiHighAdministrativeCourtruledinfavorofKeishoAoyama(青山惠昭),a71-year-oldresidentofthecityofUrasoeinOkinawaandthesonofaJapanesevictimofthe228Incident,inhiscompensationrequestonFeb.17.

MemorialFoundationof228ChairmanStevenChen(陳士魁)saidSundayataceremonymarkingthe69thanniversaryofthe228IncidentthatthefoundationdecidedataboardmeetingonWednesdaynottoappealthecase.

In2013,AoyamafiledanapplicationwiththeTaiwanesefoundationtorecognizehisfather,EsakiAoyama(青山惠先),asaforeignvictimoftheincidentanddemandedNT$6millionincompensationforhisfather.

Accordingtorecords,EsakiAoyamawascapturedbytheKuomintangregime'sarmyin1947whenhisshipfromOkinawareachedtheshoreofKeelung,andhewaslaterreportedlymurderedonHepingIslandwherehiswifeandsonwereliving.

Hisfatherwasrecognizedasa228IncidentvictiminDecember2014,butthefoundationturneddownthecompensationrequestbecauseJapanhasnotpaidreparationstoformerTaiwanesetroopswhofoughtforJapanduringWorldWarIIorTaiwanesewomenforcedtoworkaswartimesexslavesinJapanesemilitarybrothels.

WiththehelpoftheTaiwanAssociationforHumanRightsandTaiwaneselawyers,AoyamafiledanadministrativesuitwiththeTaipeiHighAdministrativeCourtinSeptemberlastyear.

ThecourtsaidinastatementreleasedearlierthismonththattheFeb.28IncidentDispositionandCompensationActpromulgatedin1995didnotstatethatcompensationshouldberestrictedtoTaiwanese.

Chensaidthefoundation'sboardmembersagreedtoAoyuama'scompensationrequestbutstillexpressedregretthattheJapanesegovernmenthasignoredthecompensationrequestsoftheformerTaiwanesetroopsandTaiwanese"comfortwomen."

ChensaidhehasaskedAoyamatoconveyTaiwan'shopethattheJapanesegovernmentwillhandlethecompensationissuesbasedontheprinciplesofhumanrights,equalityandreciprocity.

Thefoundationhasregisteredatotalof2,290compensationcasesinvolving9,982peopleeligibleforNT$7.3billionincompensationsinceMay2013,withNT$7.2billionhavingbeenpaidoutto9,905people,accordingtoChen.