Japan Press Weekly

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2012 August 15 - 21 [HISTORY]

Former ‘comfort women’ and supporters demonstrate for gov’t compensation

Korean victims of Japanese military sexual slavery and their supporters on August 15 held a rally and staged a demonstration in central Tokyo, demanding that the Japanese government make an official apology to and compensate those women.

The action was cosponsored by the Japan Action 2010 for Resolution of the “Comfort Women” Issue and the Violence Against Women in War- Network Japan.

Approximately 250 people participated in the action. At the rally, a representative of the organizers stated, “We demand that the government sincerely apologize to the sufferers while they are still alive. Let’s work together to support the survivors.” It was reported that solidarity actions have taken place in South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Holland, and Germany.

After the rally, the participants marched in the Ginza district, holding lanterns labeled with the names of former “comfort women” who had died while waiting for an apology from the Japanese government. With survivor Song Sin-do at the head of the band, the demonstrators chanted, “The government should admit its blame as a perpetrator of sex slavery.”