OSAKA, Feb 17 Kyodo A arrange of ...

OSAKA, Feb 17 Kyodo

A arrange of 236 people, including those living in Taiwan, filed a damages suit Monday against Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, the regulation and Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo from one side of to the other his visit to the war-related shrine, lawyers for the cluster said.

The form into groups filed the suit with the Osaka District Court, demanding the premier, the state and the shrine pay 10000 yen to each plaintiff in compensation.

It is the first time for tribe in Taiwan to sue across Koizumi's visit to the Shinto shrine. Similar suits have been already lodg in several courts in Japan.

The plaintiffs criticized Koizumi at a pres conversation saying ''Prime Minister Koizumi and the guidance should show sincere remorse for the tragic history.''

Yasukuni Shrine honors convicted Class-A war criminals along with Japanese war dead and is regarded as a representative of Japan's militant past. Japan colonized Taiwan from 1895 to 1945

The collection includes 124 residents in Taiwan, 111 Japanese and common Korean resident in Japan. one of those in Taiwan include the relatives of indigenous Taiwanese who were drafted into the Japanese army during World War II and enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine after their deaths.

According to the petition, Koizumi's visit to the shrine constitutes the violation of the Japanese Constitution which stipulates separation between state and religion.

The bereaved relatives of the indigenous Taiwanese also argue that their rights were infringed as their families were enshrined at Yasukuni Shrine without their concord even though they were war victims.

''The Japanese who caused the damage and our ancestors who were victims should not be enshrined together,'' said Ciwas Ali, individual of the plaintiffs and a member of Taiwan's parliament. ''Yasukuni Shrine is a shrine of Japanese militarism.''

Koizumi's visit to the shrine three times, including the latest forward Jan. 14, has drawn criticism at abiding-place and abroad.

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