A former PoW claims a decision to exclude hundreds of Britons from war compensation is a direct result of the Government attitudes.
Bill Holtham, ex-chairman of the Labour Camp Survivors' Association, expressed no surprise that judges have criticised the Government's handling of compensation to civilian internees of the Second World War who hold British citizenship but were not born in the UK.
As senior Appeal Court judges ruled the Government's actions were not unlawful, Mr Holtham, 83, of Pinewood Avenue, Eastwood, who was in the Royal Army ordnance Corp, said: "We employed hundreds of civilians during the war. I was in a Singapore hospital where 90 per cent of the staff were Chinese but they were paid by the British Government.
"There were thousands of Indians employed. The fact those of them who hold British citizenship have been refused compensation is down to the attitude of the British Government. They will do everything they can not to pay anyone anything."
In 2000, Defence Minister Dr Lewis Moonie said each ex-Japanese PoW would receive £10,000.
Their hopes were dashed when the Appeal Court said civilian internees must have been born in the UK or have a relative born in the UK.
Published Monday, April 7, 2003
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