Japanese court awards orphans left in China after WWII_时事要闻

Japanese court awards orphans left in China after WWII

文章来源：文章作者：发布时间：2006-12-04 00:54 字体： [大中小]　进入论坛

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War orphans¹, who were Japanese children abandoned in China after the WWII, raise their hands to cheer as a supporter(C) shows a banner reading, "Winning Suit" outside of the Kobe district court, western Japan. A Japanese court for the first time ordered the state to compensate² orphans left behind in China after World War II, saying the government had failed to help them.

Dec.3 - A Japanese court for the first time ordered the state to compensate orphans left behind in China after World War II, saying the government had failed to help them.

Thousands of Japanese children were abandoned in China when the Japanese occupiers were defeated in 1945 and their parents either were killed or fled.

"The government bears a significant political responsibility to rescue war orphans," said presiding Judge Hitoshi Hashizume of the Kobe District Court in western Japan.

Most war orphans were adopted and became culturally Chinese before returning to Japan as adults after the two countries normalized relations in 1972.

The judge said the government "illegally posed obstacles to their repatriation³" by forbidding war orphans from returning unless their Japanese families took them in.

He also said the government's vocational training and job-hunting services for returning orphans were poor, despite its "legal obligation to help them achieve self-reliance five years after repatriation."

He ordered the government to pay a total of 468 million yen⁴ (US$4 million) to 61 of the 65 aging plaintiffs. The sum was well below the former war orphans' demands for a total of 2.145 billion yen.

But the plaintiffs still broke out in applause as a supporter rushed out of the courtroom to tell them the verdict.

"I'm very happy. I can finally be a grandma who can give at least 10,000 yen or so as a gift to a grandchild entering high school," said Mitsuko Miyajima, who was abandoned in China.

"Finally I'm liberated⁵ from being a war orphan," she told reporters.

Hisafumi Kitahara, chief of the welfare ministry's section in charge of war orphans, acknowledged: "It was a severe ruling for the government."

The government has yet to decide whether it will appeal.

"The government will decide after thoroughly⁶ discussing the matter with related government offices and agencies and examining the ruling," chief government spokesman Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a news conference.

The court rejected the damages claims of four orphans because the statute⁷ of limitations had expired -- a frequent explanation by courts when dismissing lawsuits⁸ filed by Chinese and Korean victims of Japanese wartime atrocities⁹.

It was the second ruling on war orphans. Last year, the Osaka District Court rejected similar demands filed by 32 war orphans, saying there was not sufficient evidence that the government was negligent¹⁰.

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1 orphans
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。 Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

2 compensate
vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消
参考例句：
She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。 Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

3 repatriation
n.遣送回国，归国
参考例句：
The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。来自互联网 Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。来自互联网

4 yen
n. 日元；热望
参考例句：
He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。 He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

5 liberated
a.无拘束的，放纵的
参考例句：
The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。 The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。

6 thoroughly
adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地
参考例句：
The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。 The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

7 statute
n.成文法，法令，法规；章程，规则，条例
参考例句：
Protection for the consumer is laid down by statute.保障消费者利益已在法令里作了规定。 The next section will consider this environmental statute in detail.下一部分将详细论述环境法令的问题。

8 lawsuits
n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。来自辞典例句 I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。来自辞典例句

9 atrocities
n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪
参考例句：
They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。来自《简明英汉词典》 The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 negligent
adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的
参考例句：
The committee heard that he had been negligent in his duty.委员会听说他玩忽职守。 If the government is proved negligent,compensation will be payable.如果证明是政府的疏忽，就应支付赔偿。

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