We have the following rationales:
(1) On the legal perspective, the Japanese Government issued Military Yens in Hong Kong as legal tender, whilst they retreated and the Military Yens became useless, they should collect and exchange.
(2) The Japanese Government claimed to have giant reserves to support the Military Yens. Where was the reserve?
(3) On each note there was a statement saying that it was a legal tender. But why these notes became useless ?
(4) The Japanese Government still exists, she should be responsible for their issued currencies.
(5) The Japanese Government frequently uses the San Francis Treaty as a shield and excuse to avoid the exchange. According to the Chapter 14 of Sino Japanese Treaty, there was no inclusion of the issue of Military Yens. The Japanese Government should not deceive the world.
(6) On 193-08-13, We initiated a trial in the Japanese District Court against the Japanese Government for "Unable to fulfill the duty of issuing currency". Until 1999-06-17, the trial completed, and the court gave a verdict that the Japanese Government had committed such unlawful acts in issuing currency by force and wiping-off our assets. Though the court had sympathy on us, there was no compensation law in Japan. Hence, we still lost the trial. We have to wait for the legislation of such law in Japan.
(7) We had appealed to the High Court. After three trials, on 2001-02-08, our appeal was dismissed. In July 2001, we lodged our appeal to the Court of Final Appeal, and a stamp duty was paid. However, up to now, the trial is not fixed yet.
(8) Between 1995-10-02 and end of March 2000, Japanese Government set a liaison association in Taiwan and started to repay to Taiwanese all the debt including rate, Military debt, insurance and the issued Military Yens.
(9) Legally speaking, issuing dishonored cheque was a criminal offence. So the same ground applied here, issuing currency but dishonored. It is a serious crime. The Japanese Government applied double standard to discriminate us. The issue of Military yens is a matter of 'debt', a fraud in issuing currency. It's not a question of 'compensation'. The Japanese Government should not use 'compensation' to deceive the world.
It is unfair and unjust. The Japanese troops occupied Hong Kong, and issued Japanese Military Yens. They forced the Hong Kong citizens to exchange all their assets including Hong Kong and foreign currencies, gold, and all resources, to the issued Military Yens, which was ordered to be the only legal tender. For those who circulated other currencies, they would be punished or even be-headed. The Japanese National Bank had admitted having issued 1.9 billions Military Yens in Hong Kong. We have 3500 families who are still holding some 0.54 billion Military yens in hands. We requested for a reasonable exchange.
To conclude, The Japanese
Government had repaid all the debts to Taiwan between 1995-10-02 and end of
March 2000. They had publicly announced for the claims of the debts in Taiwan.
It was unfair to us even we had won the trial as there was no compensation
law in Japan. I request Japanese Government to show their sincere in exchange
for the Military Yens.
Hong Kong Reparation Association
President: Ng Yat Hing
Vice President: Ho Dat Man
Chow Bing
*This web site is made for reference only and contains absolutely no commercial meaning.
To Prime Minster of Japan:
It has been 61
years after World War II. However, the Japanese Government still
fails to face the wrongs she did during the war, make the reasonable reparation
and convey her sincere apology to the war victims. Only by doing so, Japanese
could keep the harmony in Asia and rebuild her dignity.
It's still a fresh memory that the brutal and unforgettable Japanese 3 year and eight months' occupation in Hong Kong. The Japanese army had committed a lots of crimes including robberies, brutal killings, rapes, arsons, force slavery and etc.
The Hong Kong citizens are discriminated, and double standards are laid on them. On 1942-12-25, the Japanese troops occupied Hong Kong, and issued Japanese Military Yens. They forced the Hong Kong citizens to exchange all their assets including Hong Kong and foreign currencies, gold, and all resources, to the issued Military Yens, which was ordered to be the only legal tender. For those who circulated other currencies, they would be punished or even be-headed. There are still members of our association who can testify. In 1941, the exchange rate was HK$ 2 to $1 Military Yen, On 1942-07-04, the rate was HK$ 4 to $ 1 Military Yen. In Autumn 1945, the troops evacuated from Hong Kong, without giving any opportunity for us to exchange the money.
Japanese Government forced us to exchange the Military Yens. They then shipped out all the valuables and other currencies to purchase assets to be shipped back to Japan.