MO DESHENG, one of the few survivors of a 1932 massacre of about 3,000 villagers by the Japanese army, died in Fushun, Liaoning Province, at the age of 81, Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday (May 24th).

He was one of three plaintiffs seeking 60 million yen (US$557,362) in compensation and an apology from the Japanese Government in a marathon lawsuit launched in 1996.

Mo was about 7 years old when the massacre took place in Pingdingshan village, Fushun, on Sept. 16, 1932. About 3,000 villages were massacred by Japanese soldiers, according to Chinese historians.

Mo lost his grandparents, parents and 3-year-old sister.

"Since that morning, the sorrow and pain have never left me," he said in a Tokyo court in 1997.

Two weeks ago, the Tokyo High Court recognized the Japanese had carried out the massacre but upheld a ruling by a lower court in 2002 and rejected the claim for compensation.

Mo was indignant about the court ruling even on his death bed.

Yang Baoshan and Fang Surong, the two remaining plaintiffs, are 84 and 79 years old respectively. Despite Mo's death and the difficulty they encountered in fighting the lawsuit, Yang said they would continue to fight, appealing against the Tokyo High Court decision.

It is believed only five people survived the Pingdingshan massacre.

Editor: Wing