The Japanese army established seven "comfort women" houses in Haikou, capital of South China's Hainan Province, during World War II, two senior citizens said in a letter to the media.

Wu Kunren, a 70-year-old from Haikou Cultural Centre, told the local newspaper that Japanese troops set up the seven houses on or near Zhongshan Road after they occupied Haikou in February 1939.

Women captured from China, Korea, the Philippines and other countries were kept in the houses, where they were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers, Wu said.

Taichanglong Hotel, opposite Wu's childhood house, was converted into Shouwu Comfort Women House, Wu said.

In his teenage years, Wu watched women going in and out of the hotel every day, and learned the truth about the houses later from his friend, Li Chuanqing.

Li, 74, once delivered meals to the comfort houses. In 1943, when Li was 12, he worked in a restaurant called Sanxing near to where there were four comfort women houses.

Li was often sent to deliver meals there. He was sent to each of the seven houses during his one-year stint at the restaurant.

Li noticed that each woman lived in a single room. When he delivered meals, Li dared not look around for fear of being beaten by Japanese soldiers. But he heard Japanese soldiers laughing, beating women and cursing.

Li still knows where all but one of the sites were. The building which was Funaijia Comfort Women House has now been torn down, with the new building serving as a lamp market, he said. The ABC Comfort Women House was where Hainan Xingfa Labor Insurance Company now stands.

Shouwu Comfort Women House was located at No 90 Zhongshan Road. Guangsong Comfort Women House has now become Hongbang Machinery and Electronics Store. Chaori Comfort Women House was at No 3 Zhongshan East-West Alley. Yiliu Comfort Women House was behind Haikou Department Store on Jiefang Xilu Road, and has now been torn down.

There was another comfort women house in Renhe Lane, Li said, but he was not able to specify the location.

Residents there said the Japanese army did occupy a residential building, but they were not aware of its purpose.

(China Daily May 23, 2005)