A 76-year-old farmer from Hebei Province, who was forced to work as a slave in Japan during World War II, will get free legal aid to help him sue a Japanese company in a Chinese court, according to sources with a non-government federation devoted to assisting Chinese war victims.

Several lawyers and their firms have agreed to offer legal assistance to former Chinese WWII laborers including Tian Chunsheng.

This is the first time lawyers have tried to seek redress in a Chinese court rather than in Japan, said Tong Zeng, director of the federation.

Tian was forced to work in Japanese mines along with his father. On the way to Japan and during his time there he and others were tortured and his father died, according to Tian. At the end of 1945 Tian was released and returned to China.

"More and more Chinese WWII victims are aware of their rights nowadays since the federation began to claim compensation from relevant Japanese entities in 1990," Tong said.

"But most of the compensation claims have been rejected by the Japanese courts," Tong said, explaining why victims like Tian have now chosen to file lawsuits in China. 

Several other WWII victims and their relatives have also contacted the federation about using Chinese courts to claim compensation from Japanese companies and government.

(Xinhua News Agency April 3, 2006)