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Toxic bombs confirmed as Japan's ammo
By Cao Desheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2004-08-03 23:46
Japanese experts confirmed Tuesday that chemical weapons responsible for
injuring two school boys in northeastern China were left behind by Japanese
troops during World War II.
The experts arrived at the conclusion after investigating the weapons
uncovered in Lianhuapao Village in Dunhua, Jilin Province, a Ministry of Foreign
Affairs officials said. The seven-member team of officials from Japan's special
office for abandoned chemical weapons disposal, left Dunhua Tuesday after
visiting the two victims in a local hospital.
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Part of a
rusty shell is seen revealable in a backyard of a farmer's house in
Dunhua, northeastern China's Jilin Province, Monday, August 2, 2004.
[newsphoto]
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taken in mid-August when the Japanese team will travel back to the area again to
deal with additional such weapons, insiders say.
Before leaving the northeastern Chinese city, they received compensation
demands from the parents of the victims through the local government. The
officials said they would submit the demands to the Japanese Government.
Liu Hao and Zhou Tong, the two young victims, uncovered a 50-centimeter-long
barrel full of chemicals on July 24 when they were playing near a river close to
their village.
Out of curiosity, one of the boys pried open the rusted weapon and toxic
liquid flowing out of the barrel splashed onto the children's fingers and legs,
injuring the boys.
Nine-year-old Liu was found to have had additional blisters on his right leg
Tuesday,the child's father said.
The boy is suffering great agony because of the sharp pain in the injured
area,the father told local media.
Local people complain the Japanese side has been sluggish and reluctant in
disposing of the chemical weapons in the area, where some 670,000 chemical
weapons were reported to have been dumped by Japanese troops during World War
II.
According to a Chemical Weapons Convention signed by two governments in 1997,
Japan promised to finish the work of disposing all chemical weapons it abandoned
in China by 2007.
In line with the current lengthy process, however,it appears to be impossible
for that to occur on time, the Chengshi Wanbao Newspaper quoted local people as
saying.
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