July 19 (Bloomberg) -- A Japanese court rejected an appeal for compensation by a group of Chinese victims of germ warfare waged by the Japanese Imperial Army in China during World War II, Kyodo News reported.

The Tokyo High Court upheld a judgment by a district court in 2002, which while acknowledging Japan had resorted to biological attacks denied compensation because international law doesn't permit individuals to sue for war damages, Kyodo said.

The group of 180 people demanded 10 million yen each in compensation and an apology from the Japanese government, claiming that as many as 10,000 people died after Japanese military division known as Unit 731 infected fleas with bubonic plague that were released among the population and tainted food with cholera bacteria in northeast China, Kyodo reported.

(Kyodo News, 7-19.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Tim Kelly in Tokyo at tikelly@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: July 19, 2005 04:31 EDT