Kang Jian, one of the Chinese lawyers fighting for compensation for survivors of the War of Resistance Against the Japanese Invasion (1937-1945), received 60,000 yuan (US$7,390) in legal aid funds from the Chinese Legal Aid Foundation and the All-China Lawyers Association on Monday.

According to Kang, the money will help transport Chinese plaintiffs, most of whom are in their eighties and nineties, to courts in Japan. The money will also cover the cost of filing documents.

"Legal aid plays an important role in our lawsuits," Kang said, "But support from the public is even more valuable."

Despite the media publicity that the lawsuits have received, public response has been lukemwarm at best. Since May, only slightly over 10,000 yuan (US$1,230) have been donated by individuals to the cause.

"China suffered a great deal in the Japanese invasion 60 years ago" Zhang Xiufa, president of the China Legal Aid Foundation, said. "To aid survivors seeking war compensation is justified. It's an obligation for every Chinese lawyer."

Many Chinese women were forced to become sex slaves during the war, while many men were enslaved in Japan. The groups filing lawsuits against the Japanese government and various companies integral to the Japanese war machine include survivors of the Nanjing Massacre and sufferers of chemical warfare attacks.

But it's still an uphill struggle for the Chinese. In the last 10 years, Chinese lawyers and plaintiffs have won only one out of 25 cases.

(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2005)