PHILIPPINES: FORMER COMFORT WOMAN, MARIA ROSA HENSON, SIGNS COPIES OF HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND ATTENDS PLAY DEPICTING THE LIFE OF A COMFORT WOMAN

Record ID: 190467

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: FORMER COMFORT WOMAN, MARIA ROSA HENSON, SIGNS COPIES OF HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND ATTENDS PLAY DEPICTING THE LIFE OF A COMFORT WOMAN
  • Date: 29th March 1996
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (MARCH 29-30, 1996) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) (MARCH 30, 1996) 1. GV PEOPLE AWAIT CEREMONY AT FORT SANTIAGO 0.05 2. SV FORMER COMFORT WOMAN MARIS ROSA HENSON SIGNS AUTOBIOGRAPHY 0.07 3. CU COPIES OF HENSON'S AUTOBIOGRAPICAL BOOK 0.11 4. CU COVER OF HENSON'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY 0.15 5. MV MARIA ROSA HENSON SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 0.31 6. SV/CU HENSON SIGNING COPIES OF HER AUTOBIOGRAPHY (2 SHOTS) 0.41 7. MV HENSON SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 1.00 8. GV PERFORMANCE AT THE CEREMONY RE-ENACTING THE LIFE OF A COMFORT WOMAN 1.05 9. HENSON SEATED AT FRONT OF AUDIENCE WATCHING PERFORMANCE 1.08 10.GVS/GV PAN PERFORMANCE AT THE CEREMONY RE-ENACTING THE LIFE OF A COMFORT WOMAN (3 SHOTS) 1.20 (MARCH 29, 1996) 11.GV COMFORT WOMEN RALLY IN FRONT OF JAPANESE EMBASSY IN MANILA 1.23 12. SV/CU HENSON WITH KOREAN COMFORT WOMEN DURING RALLY IN FRONT OF JAPANESE EMBASSY IN MANILA (2 SHOTS) 1.31 (MARCH 30, 1996) 13. SHEILA CORONEL, PUBLISHER, SPEAKING (ENGLISH) 1.45 14. SV ZOOM IN PEOPLE KISSING HENSON 2.00 TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 5: MARIA ROSA HENSON: "WHEN I WOKE UP, I CANNOT REMEMBER ANYTHING. I JUST LOOKED. MY EYES WERE BLURRED, THEN GRADUALLY I REMEMBERED." TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 7: MARIA ROSA HENSON: "I FEEL THAT IT IS VERY FRESH. IT IS NEAR ME. THOSE DAYS FIFTY YEARS AGO WAS ONLY IN MY FRONT. THAT'S WHY I CRIED AND CRIED." (ENGLISH) TRANSCRIPT SEQUENCE 13: SHEILA CORONEL: "LATER ON, AS YOU GO THROUGH THE BOOK, WHAT BECOMES IMPORTANT, WHAT REMAINS WITH YOU IS HOW ONE WOMAN WOULD HAVE THE STRENGTH TO SURVIVE SO MUCH. SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY A STORY OF SURVIVAL." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 13th April 1996 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • City:
  • Country: Phillippines
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LQCUWHETZCHZILWP6KTKIOGZ
  • Story Text: An autobiography written by former comfort woman Maria Rose Henson was launched at ceremonies in Manila's Fort Santiago on Saturday (March 30), in the author's presence.

    The book describes Henson's experiences as one of the thousands of Asia's so-called "comfort women", forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War Two.

    Henson writes that the soldiers who were not sexually satisfied would tie her up and beat her until she had lost consciousness.

    "When I woke up, I cannot remember anything. I just looked. My eyes were blurred, then gradually I remembered." she recalls.

    Henson was 14 when Japanese soldiers occupying the Philippines raped her near her family home in Manila.

    "I feel that it is very fresh. It is near me. Those days fifty years ago are only in my front. That's why I cried and cried," she says.

    After her rape, Henson helped the Filipino guerrilla movement by carrying food and medicine but was captured and forced into sexual slavery.

    For the next nine months, Japanese soldiers and officers would line up outside the room and take turns raping her. Her only respite came when she was allowed a few hours sleep, or to eat a meagre meal.

    She was rescued by Filipino soldiers in January 1944.

    At Saturday's book launch, Henson signed autographs for guests made up of journalists, nuns, members of various non-governmental organisations, and students.

    The day's book launch ceremony included a dramatic re-enactment of the life of a comfort woman.

    Sheila Coronel of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism encouraged Henson to publish.

    "As you go through the book, what becomes important, what remains with you is how one woman could get the strength to survive so much," said Coronel.

    On Friday, Henson had joined other Filipina and Korean comfort woman in a protest at the Japanese embassy in Manila, demanding compensation for the years of abuse.

    To date, more than 150 Filipino comfort women, together with other Asian comfort women, have told their stories and are now demanding justice from the Japanese government.

    A private fund called the Asian Peace National Fund for Women was put up. But the comfort women say Tokyo must "pay legal reparations" to the survivors.


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