'Comfort women' bill by opposition parties can be first step toward solving problems

Japanese parliament on December 12 invited two professors in order to hear their opinion on the opposition parties' joint bill aimed at solving the problems of Asian women who were forced to labor as sex slaves of the Japanese Army during the WWII.

The bill, which was submitted jointly by the Japanese Communist, Democratic and Social Democratic parties, calls on the Japanese government to offer an apology and pay compensation to the former sex slaves.

The Japanese government has so far refused to accept responsibility for the damage to former "comfort women," and instead established a fund to collect money from the public and distribute "atonement money" to victims. But about 60 percent of the surviving victims and the South Korean government have rejected the offer. It has become clear that the "fund" is ineffective for dealing with this issue.

At the House of the Councilors Cabinet Committee meeting, Yokota Yozo, professor at Chuo University, pointed out that only 40 percent of the surviving victims have received the "atonement money" from the fund. He emphasized that the use of the so-called "comfort women" was in violation of the international laws on forced labor and the prohibition of trafficking of humans.

Totsuka Etsuro, professor at Kobe University Graduate School, said the bill introduced by the opposition parties is hailed by surviving victims and countries concerned. "This bill can be a first step toward solving the 'comfort women' problems." (end)