Survivors of Japanese air raids on Chongqing during World War II lost the first hearing in their claim for compensation and receiving an apology from the government in Tokyo on Wednesday afternoon.

Tokyo District Court ruled against the 188 plaintiffs from China and dismissed their petition. The court also ruled the costs must be borne by the plaintiffs.

Su Yuankui, 82, leader of the Chongqing Bombing Survivors’ Litigation Group, speaking outside the court said the verdict was unfair. He said the group will appeal.

Su is demanding an apology and compensation from the Japanese government on behalf of the civilians who died in the aerial bombardment.

Documents and photographs in the Chongqing Archives show the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and Navy Air Service dropped more than 11,500 bombs, mainly incendiary devices, from February 1938 until August 1944 on the municipality, which was China’s capital.

“The bombing lasted for more than six years. More than 30,000 people died in the air raids, while a further 6,000 were killed or injured as a result of related activities,” Su said in a previous interview with China Daily in January.

The Litigation Group was formed in 2004 by 188 survivors and relatives of victims from Chongqing and nearby cities with the aim of suing the Japanese authorities for reparation.

Documents in the city archives show that during the air raids, bombers didn’t differentiate between military and civilian targets, resulting in a huge loss of life and massive economic losses.

Although seven decades have passed since the end of World War II, Jiang Wanxi, 84, deputy director of the group still remembers running from the raids.

Jiang lost his father, elder brother and sister-in-law in the bombing campaign.

“People really suffered a lot during those years, but no one gave up hope or surrendered to the Japanese,” he said.

According to Tong Zeng, president of the China Federation to Demand Compensation from Japan, the Imperial Japanese Army committed a huge number of war crimes in China during World War II. To date, 30 different groups across the country have tried unsuccessfully to claim compensation.

Japan says the Chinese government waived the right to reparation by signing the Sino-Japanese Joint Communique of 1972, which sought to normalize relations between the two countries.

“Japan’s excuses are rootless. Just because the Chinese government waived the right (to reparation) it doesn’t mean that Chinese individuals should give up their right to seek individual compensation,” Tong said.