London - British labour camp survivors yesterday called on Japan to make an 11th-hour apology and offer compensation to prevent disruption during Emperor Akihito's state visit, which started last night. Veterans plan to turn their backs on the emperor today and whistle Colonel Bogey - the tune from the film The Bridge on the River Kwai - as a mark of disrespect. The protest is planned for when the emperor is taken by carriage down The Mall to Buckingham Palace to meet the queen.
Former prisoners of war have urged youngsters to show their disgust at what they see as Japan's failure to offer adequate apologies and compensation to the former prisoners. The Japanese Labour Camps Survivors Association and Association of British Civilian Internees Far East Region are fighting the Japanese government in a Tokyo court for compensation worth £13,580 each for their suffering during more than three years of torture, starvation and slave labour.