The Tokyo District Court dismissed on Wednesday a damages suit filed by eight women from south China's Hainan Province against the Japanese government for forcing them to be "comfort women" for the Japanese army during World War II.

Although having turned down the plaintiffs' demand, presiding Judge Wataru Yao basically acknowledged their claims that they were "abducted, confined, continuously beaten and raped by Japanese soldiers."

The judge said the demand was rejected because what they suffered happened before the National Redress Law went into force in 1947, and their right to demand compensation no longer existed because more than 20 years had elapsed.

For the Japanese government, it alleges that individuals have no right to seek compensation under international law and that it has no responsibility to compensate for acts conducted before the National Redress Law was enacted after the war.

The plaintiffs' lawyers said they would appeal to a higher court.

The suit was filed at the Tokyo District Court in July 2001, with the demand that the Japanese government apologize for its sins, restore the eight women's honor and give 23 million yen (some US$196,000) to each in compensation.

Two of the eight have died and had their suit taken up by family members.

Japanese courts have frequently rejected claims by foreign victims of wartime atrocities committed by Japanese aggressor troops under various excuses.

(Xinhua News Agency August 31, 2006)