Japan Press Weekly

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2015 June 3 - 9 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Japanese researchers urge early settlement of wartime ‘comfort women’ issue

Eight Japanese historians and intellectuals held a news conference on June 8 in the Diet building, publishing a joint statement which urges the Japanese government to increase efforts to resolve Japan’s wartime sex slavery (euphemistically called “comfort women”) issue.

The statement notes that the comfort women issue is the most urgent matter to be settled between Japan and South Korea. It prompts Japan’s administration to make compensation to victims as a token of its remorse and recognition of the historical facts.

Stating that the number of living former comfort women has declined to about 50, it stresses that Tokyo and Seoul should immediately take action to settle this issue.

With regard to a statement which Prime Minister Abe Shinzo is set to issue in August to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, it demands that PM Abe reconfirm Japan’s aggression and colonial rule over other Asian nations as well as clearly express his “remorse and apology” to victimized people.

As of June 8, the joint statement is signed by 281 people, including historians, authors, and political scientists.

Past related article:
> Japanese historians criticize argument denying forcible recruitment of ‘comfort women’ [May 26, 2015]