A breakthrough occurred on June 1, 2016 on the issue of compensation for former slave laborers who worked for Japanese corporations during WWII. About two and a half years ago, a Chinese court in Beijing accepted lawsuits filed by a larger number of former slave laborers or their descendants against Mitsubishi, one of the Japanese companies who were involved in the slave labor business during WWII. While these lawsuits are proceeding, Mitsubishi and some of the plaintiffs have been discussing possible out-of-court settlement. On June 1, 2016, it was announced that three plaintiffs have agreed to sign a settlement agreement with Mitsubishi. Since then, several more plaintiffs have also signed, and many others are considering it, while some others have decided to continue with the lawsuit. For more information on this issue, including the text of the Settlement Agreement, see: http://www.10000cfj.org/en/?page_id=5483.

This is a very complex issue involving many people, including former slave laborers, their descendants, their supporters and legal advisers. So there is bound to be a variety of positions toward this issue. We respect those who chose this June 1, 2016 settlement. We respect those who may seek another settlement, and we respect those who want to continue with the lawsuit. We are all working toward the ultimate goal of getting the Japanese government to acknowledge, apologize, and compensate the victims or their beneficiaries for the large scale and inhumane atrocities her military committed against the Chinese people during the Second Sino-Japanese War.