June 17, 1999
Asahi Shimbun
The Tokyo District Court today rejected a compensation request from
17
Hong Kong residents who were given now-worthless military scrip by
imperial Japan during World War II.
The plaintiffs contended they suffered severe financial losses when
they
were forced to hand over their Hong Kong dollars for military scrip
called gunpyo.
Hong Kong, then a British colony, was under occupation of the Imperial
Japanese Army from December 1941 through August 1945.
The plaintiffs, led by Ng Yat Hing, 63, had sought a total of 760
million yen in compensation.
Presiding Judge Seiichiro Nishioka said, "All military scrip (issued
by
Japan) became worthless after the war. Whether the plaintiffs
should be
compensated is not a matter to be decided by the courts but one to
be
decided by the Diet."
However, Nishioka acknowledged that the exchange of Hong Kong dollars
with gunpyo was compulsory under Japanese occupation.
"The plaintiffs are war victims and their financial losses are damages
resulting from the war."
The plaintiffs said the Japanese army issued gunpyo in vast quantities
and murdered residents who would not obey. Japanese forces prohibited
the use of Hong Kong dollars in May 1943.
A month after the war ended, the Finance Ministry in Tokyo declared
that
military scrip was worthless.
In today's ruling, the presiding judge noted that the declaration was
based on a memorandum issued by the Supreme Commander of the Allied
Powers.
He rejected the plaintiffs' assertion that Japan was duty-bound to honor
the scrip because the reverse side of the notes said they were exchanged
at the same value as bank notes issued by the Bank of Japan.
"The statement is also invalid," Nishioka said.
At the end of the war, the plaintiffs had accumulated military scrip
worth 517 million yen in face value. They formed a group to demand
compensation in 1968 and have been lobbying the Japanese government
ever
since.
In August 1993, they filed a suit with the Tokyo District Court asking
the government to exchange their military scrip with Japanese bank
notes
at current values. They also sought 10 million yen in consolation
money
per plaintiff.
In November 1980, the district court rejected a similar compensation
request from a group of Taiwanese residents.
