A Japanese high court yesterday upheld a lower court's decision rejecting appeals by a group of Chinese workers seeking compensation for being forced to work as slave laborers during World War II.

The 27 appellants plan to move the Supreme Court against yesterday's decision. Originally, there were 42 plaintiffs but 15 of them have died since.

The lawsuit was filed in 1999 against the Japanese government and six companies, with the appellants alleging they had been forced to work as laborers in mines and factories during the early 1940s, and demanded an apology and $7 million as compensation.