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Chinese police break up

anti-Japan news conf

BEIJING: Chinese police on Monday stormed and broke up a news conference where an elderly "comfort woman" wept as she related her ordeal as a sex slave for Japanese soldiers in World War Two.

The news conference was called by 10 people, who on Monday filed the first lawsuit by Chinese in a Tokyo court demanding compensation of 20 million yen (US$220,000) each for injuries suffered at the hands of Japanese soldiers during the invasion of the 1930s and 1940s.

Public security officers burst into the third-floor room of the Hepingli Hotel in central Beijing, saying the conference was illegal because government authorities had not given permission.

They ordered foreign television crews and photographers to hand over videotape and film showing a sobbing Wang Aihua, 67, from northern Shanxi province as she described her life as a sex slave for Japanese soldiers during World War Two.

A tearful Wang told how she ran away three times from a brothel but was caught and returned.

Police cut off electricity to the hotel room in an apparent attempt to disrupt the news conference.

A Japanese television reporter scuffled with an officer who tried to seize his camera. The policeman threatened to charge the reporter with obstruction of justice.

It was not known whether organisers of the news conference or any of the war victims were detained.

Organisers had called the news conference after the group was forced to cancel their planned visit to Japan to file their lawsuit in person.

They had initially planned to leave for Japan on Sunday but did not manage to obtain visas. Chinese officials have consfiscated the passport of the group's leader, Tong Zeng.

Li Dingguo, one of the organisers, told reporters that a group of Japanese lawyers filed lawsuits on behalf of the 10 in a Tokyo district court on Monday.

According to China's count, 35 million Chinese were killed or injured by Japanese troops during their 1937-45 war.

China dropped all official demands for compensation when it established diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972, but has said it would not stand in the way of private citizens seeking redress for war injuries.-Reuter