The High Court of west Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture awarded damages on Friday to a group of former Chinese workers for being forced to work in severe conditions at a construction site during World War II.

According to Kyodo News, the high court overturned a lower court ruling in July 2002 that rejected the lawsuit brought by Shao Yicheng, 78, and four other plaintiffs.

Besides the high court ruling, some eight rulings have been issued at Japan's district court levels so far on lawsuits filed by Chinese forced laborers with results varying wildly.

The Sapporo District Court, for instance, rejected a compensation demand on March 23, but three days later on March 26 the Niigata District Court ordered the state as well as a transport company to pay damages.

The plaintiffs were among some 3,000 people from Hebei  and other Chinese provinces who were sent to work in mines across Japan from July 1943 and forced to work there until March 1945.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2004)