Cold comfort for former sex slaves

FIRST PERSON | WANGZHIFENG, 86

Beaten and whipped with a wet rope

One day when I was 17, I went to visit my grandmother to help her pound rice. On my way home, a group of Japanese soldiers caught me and locked me in their camp. I kicked and cried for help, but I couldn't escape. At night, I resisted when they wanted to rape me, so they beat me on the ears and whipped me with a wet rope, which left bloody lines on my body. Finally they knocked me out with a wooden pole. When I awoke, I realized a soldier was raping me. I wanted to get away, but I didn't even have the energy to cry.

After a few days they sent me to dig trenches, and raped me at night. I can't remember how many of them raped me. I pretended to cooperate, but I spent every day thinking about ways to escape. After two months they lowered their guard a little, and one night I crawled through a hole in the wall and escaped. Five other girls were held by the Japanese with me. I was the only one to survive.

I got married at the age of 19 and had two sons and a daughter. However, my health had been destroyed by the Japanese. I hated those soldiers. Every time I watched television shows about China beating the Japanese army, I was so happy that I could have one more bowl of rice at lunchtime.