Victory for Japan's war critics

[Eugene]

Last Updated: Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 10:57 GMT 11:57 UK

Victory for Japan's war critics

By Chris Hogg
BBC News, Tokyo

A Japanese court has rejected a claim that journalists made up the story
of a killing competition carried out by Japan's army in China in 1937.

It is a rare legal victory for the critics of Japan's wartime past.

The relatives of two officers, accused of taking part in a race to
decapitate Chinese soldiers, had sued for damages, claiming the report
was fabricated.

<snip>

'Not proven'

Two years ago, though, their relatives lodged a claim for $330,000
(36m yen) in damages from two newspapers - one, whose forerunner
published the story in 1937, and another which carried an article
repeating the allegations in 1971.

The families claimed the stories were false because they had not been
proved. Now Tokyo's district court has rejected their suit.

Full article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4176272.stm

[bemildred]

1. The truth sets you free. nt