Japanese group lodges complaint over 'comfort women' statue in Australian church

Record ID: 161234

  • Title: Japanese group lodges complaint over 'comfort women' statue in Australian church
  • Date: 15th December 2016
  • Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (DECEMBER 15, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COMFORT WOMEN MEMORIAL STATUE BOUQUET OF ROSES SITTING ON STATUE LAP
  • Embargoed: 30th December 2016 07:02
  • Keywords: Comfort women Australia Japan South Korea Statue Complaint
  • Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
  • City: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0055CZUHQD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS A WHITE FLASH
    A Japanese community group in Australia lodged a legal complaint on Wednesday (December 14) under racial vilification laws, objecting to a statue commemorating Korean "comfort women" in a Sydney church.
    The memorial, a 1.5-metre statue imported from South Korea, has been a flashpoint for tensions between Korean and Japanese communities in Sydney since it was unveiled in August.
    The situation reflects the broader diplomatic tension over the issue of "comfort women," a euphemism for those who were forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels, which have long plagued ties between the Asian neighbours.
    The "comfort woman" statue sitting beside an empty chair to symbolise the victims of the prostitution program, was erected at the Ashfield Uniting Church in Sydney after Japanese groups successfully campaigned to have it prohibited from a public park.
    At the church, Reverend Bill Crews said the statue is not intended to offend.
    "Well I don't see how it can be offensive in any way at all. What it concentrates on is the suffering of the women. It's saying these women suffered, we need to acknowledge their suffering and then move on. It's not about denigrating any country or race or anything like that. It's saying God help these suffering women and let's move on," he told Reuters on Thursday (December 15).
    Sydney-based Australia Japan Community Network (AJCN) made its complaint to Australia's Human Rights Commission on Wednesday (December 14) on behalf of local parents of Japanese origin concerned that the memorial will stir anti-Japanese sentiment.
    "I'm not sure what they are intimidated by. I don't see a violent demonstration, I don't see anyone here inducing violence to be done to the Japanese community. I think it's quite opposite, I think it would be nice if we, if the two communities can speak about it on level terms," said James Kang, who came to see the statue after he heard about it on the local news.
    The statue was unveiled in Sydney in August and the ceremony was attended by one of the surviving few "comfort women," Wok-Ok Gil, 89, who flew in from South Korea.
    Gil was forced to work as a "comfort woman" when she was 13 years old and was coerced into having sex hundreds of times with Japanese soldiers, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
    Japanese lobby groups fought to have the statue not displayed in public.
    Under Australian law it is illegal to "offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate" a person on the basis of "race, colour or national or ethnic origin."
    "Will I take it down? Never. Never," added Crews.
    Scholars continue to debate the number of women exploited. Activists in South Korea say there may have been as many as 200,000 Korean victims, although only 238 women in South Korea have come forward and identified themselves as former "comfort women."
    "Well, I believe the statue doesn't make any good for either, for Japanese community or Korean communities. It doesn't bring any positive result because that information on the plaque is not correct as far as I'm concerned because I have researched about the comfort women issue last, say about, three years and I have submitted a report, I mean an essay to the university and I believe that statue doesn't bring any harmony in this nation but dividing," Emiko, a spokeswoman for the Australia Japan Community Network told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
    In December Japan agreed to apologise and promised about one billion yen for a fund to help victims, a deal that foreign ministers from both countries said resolved the issue.
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