JAPAN: Protesters demand acknowledgement of Japanese war-time military brothels which forced women into sexual slavery
Record ID:
214024
JAPAN: Protesters demand acknowledgement of Japanese war-time military brothels which forced women into sexual slavery
- Title: JAPAN: Protesters demand acknowledgement of Japanese war-time military brothels which forced women into sexual slavery
- Date: 14th August 2013
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (AUGUST 14, 2013) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNER READING "MEMORIAL DAY FOR THE COMFORT WOMEN OF THE JAPANESE ARMY" AND "LET US MAKE IT A UNITED NATIONS DAY!!" AND MARCHING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING PROTESTER HOLDING UP PHOTO OF COMFORT WOMEN STATUE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) PROTESTER, HARUKO SHIBASAKI, SAYING "I really wonder why Japan does not properly recognise that it did bad things. There used to be a saying in the past when the spirit of Bushido was still present that you 'man up' and owning up to things was considered a virtue and a beautiful trait. The actions now are totally the opposite and the authorities are just trying to pick holes and squirm away without saying its our fault. The comfort women were raped but the authorities have degenerated to the level where they are debating on whether it was rape done in the right way or not and I think this is pathetic." MORE OF PROTESTERS MARCHING VARIOUS OF JAPANESE NATIONALIST SHOUTING "YOU SHAMELESS PEOPLE" AND "KOREANS GO HOME" PERSON HOLDING JAPANESE NATIONAL FLAG VARIOUS OF WOMAN BEATING DRUM AND MAN BEATING SYMBOL PEOPLE MARCHING VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CHANTING
- Embargoed: 29th August 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Japan
- Country: Japan
- Topics: History,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1ZQ8BZROX1GNMTXQUYQFOECFU
- Story Text: On the eve of the 68th anniversary of Japan's WW II surrender, 250 people, mostly Japanese, gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday (August 14) to commemorate the women who were forced to work in the Japanese war-time military brothel system, also known as "comfort women".
They demanded that the Japanese government apologise and compensate for the sexual slavery of South Korean women by the Japanese army during World War II.
"I really wonder why Japan does not properly recognise that it did bad things. There used to be a saying in the past when the spirit of Bushido was still present that you 'man up' and owning up to things was considered a virtue and a beautiful trait. The actions now are totally the opposite and the authorities are just trying to pick holes and squirm away without saying its our fault. The comfort women were raped but the authorities have degenerated to the level where they are debating on whether it was rape done in the right way or not and I think this is pathetic," said Haruko Shibasaki who is in her seventies.
The issue of "comfort women", many of whom were Korean has long been a point of contention between Tokyo and Seoul.
Japan says the matter of compensation for the women was settled under a 1965 treaty establishing diplomatic ties with South Korea.
In 1995 Japan set up at fund to make payments to the women from private donations, but Seoul says that was unofficial and therefore insufficient.
In a 1993 statement by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, Japan admitted military involvement in forcing Korean and other women into sexual slavery at wartime brothels and apologised for that.
Some conservative Japanese politicians, however, argue there is no conclusive proof of direct military involvement.
In May, the mayor of Osaka, Toru Hashimoto sparked a storm of criticism at home and abroad by saying that military brothels had been "necessary" at the time.
He also added that Japan had been unfairly singled out for practices common among other militaries during wartime.
The comments outraged South Korea and China.
He later back-pedalled by saying he never meant to excuse Japan's wartime military brothels and that Japan should apologise to the women forced to work there.
However, he kept the controversy alive by adding that historical research was needed to determine whether Japan "as a state" was directly involved in human trafficking of the "comfort women", as those who worked in the brothels are euphemistically known in Japan.
Historians estimate that as many as 200,000 so-called comfort women were forced into sexual slavery in the Imperial Japanese Army's brothels before and during World War Two.
Asian victims of Japan's war-time aggression, including many people in China, South Korea and the Philippines, are sensitive to what they see as any attempt by Japanese politicians to excuse Japanese abuses before and during the war. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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