June 3, 2014
Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on June 2 at a meeting held in the Diet building spoke to victims of the wartime Japanese military sex slavery system, saying, “As the head of the JCP, I will do my best to solve the issue.”
He told them that the party will tenaciously demand the Abe government to admit to the facts about wartime sexual offenses and sincerely apologize to the sufferers.
The JCP chair stated that the government with its release of the 1993 Kono Statement should refute the argument distorting historical facts as if no such sex slaves existed.
“The victims are getting old. Japan must compensate them for their continued suffering without delay. As for victims from the Korean Peninsula, the government should immediately add the matter to the diplomatic agenda based on the Japan-ROK agreement on Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims. The JCP will demand that the government make an apology and pay compensation to all the victims in Asia such as China, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor,” said Shii.
He added that Japan should also keep its international pledge made in the Kono Statement to provide history education on this issue.
* * *
The Asian Solidarity Conference for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan on June 2 held a meeting in the Diet building.
About 300 people, including victims, bereaved families, supporters, JCP Chair Shii, JCP members of the Lower House Takahashi Chizuko and Akamine Seiken, some Dietmembers of other political parties, and diplomats from 17 embassies attended the meeting.
An 84-year-old Filipino woman in the rally gave testimony. She was 14 years old at that time. When she was selling eggs with her mother at a local market, a Japanese soldier came up to them and carted her off to a Japanese Army post by truck. The weeping aged woman said, “Prime Minister Abe claims ‘no women were taken against their will.’ But I am the evidence that they did so.”
A Korean woman, 85, was forced to serve the Japanese Army as a sex slave at the age of 15. She said, “I want ask Prime Minister Abe why an innocent girl should have suffered such brutality.”
After hearing their testimonies, JCP Chair Shii shook hands with each one of the victims present, telling them that he will etch their painful memories deep into his mind.
The conference announced a proposal and submitted it to the government of Japan along with 529 official documents found after Japan issued the Kono Statement in 1993.
Past related articles:
> Gov’t should refrain from reviewing statement on ‘comfort women’ issue: JCP Shii [March 15, 2014]
> Don’t falsify historical facts: Shii at press conf. on comfort women issue [March 15, 2014]
> New evidence of forcible recruiting of comfort women found [April 7, 2014]
He told them that the party will tenaciously demand the Abe government to admit to the facts about wartime sexual offenses and sincerely apologize to the sufferers.
The JCP chair stated that the government with its release of the 1993 Kono Statement should refute the argument distorting historical facts as if no such sex slaves existed.
“The victims are getting old. Japan must compensate them for their continued suffering without delay. As for victims from the Korean Peninsula, the government should immediately add the matter to the diplomatic agenda based on the Japan-ROK agreement on Settlement of Problems in Regard to Property and Claims. The JCP will demand that the government make an apology and pay compensation to all the victims in Asia such as China, Indonesia, the Philippines and East Timor,” said Shii.
He added that Japan should also keep its international pledge made in the Kono Statement to provide history education on this issue.
* * *
The Asian Solidarity Conference for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan on June 2 held a meeting in the Diet building.
About 300 people, including victims, bereaved families, supporters, JCP Chair Shii, JCP members of the Lower House Takahashi Chizuko and Akamine Seiken, some Dietmembers of other political parties, and diplomats from 17 embassies attended the meeting.
An 84-year-old Filipino woman in the rally gave testimony. She was 14 years old at that time. When she was selling eggs with her mother at a local market, a Japanese soldier came up to them and carted her off to a Japanese Army post by truck. The weeping aged woman said, “Prime Minister Abe claims ‘no women were taken against their will.’ But I am the evidence that they did so.”
A Korean woman, 85, was forced to serve the Japanese Army as a sex slave at the age of 15. She said, “I want ask Prime Minister Abe why an innocent girl should have suffered such brutality.”
After hearing their testimonies, JCP Chair Shii shook hands with each one of the victims present, telling them that he will etch their painful memories deep into his mind.
The conference announced a proposal and submitted it to the government of Japan along with 529 official documents found after Japan issued the Kono Statement in 1993.
Past related articles:
> Gov’t should refrain from reviewing statement on ‘comfort women’ issue: JCP Shii [March 15, 2014]
> Don’t falsify historical facts: Shii at press conf. on comfort women issue [March 15, 2014]
> New evidence of forcible recruiting of comfort women found [April 7, 2014]
