Around 200,000 young women and girls, some as young as 12, were forced into sexual servitude by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Pacifi c War. Held in camps, known as “comfort stations”, the women – mainly from Korea, China, Japan, Philippines, as well as Thailand, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia and Timor Leste – were subjected to years of rape and harsh treatment. The Government of Japan has failed to accept responsibility or legal liability for the sexual slavery system used by the Japanese Imperial Army. More than 65 years on, the courageous survivors are still campaigning for justice. Young people have the power to ensure that justice is done. We will not settle for anything less!
Image: Survivors of Japan’s military sexual slavery system demonstrate outside the Japanese Embassy, Seoul, March 2005. © Paula Allen
SCARS THAT NEVER HEAL
Lola Pilar, a survivor from the Philippines, talked about the abuse that she suffered during the war. “I was tied to three other women”, she said. “There was a distance of 0.5 meters between us so we could do chores. We all had to go to the toilet and wash together… At night all four of us were raped. Five men a night raped me… If I refused they’d slap and hit me.”
Choi Gap-soon, a survivor from Korea, was taken to Manchuria at the age of 14 and was enslaved for 12 years. ” Some [soldiers] kicked and punched me in the face; I lost some teeth. I was kicked in the vagina and when I refused to serve the soldiers I was beaten by my boss… From 5pm until 8am the second shift began… I had to serve 40-50 men per day. I was in extreme pain all the time.”
The women have been carrying the emotional and physical scars of what they have been through ever since. Lee Ki-sun was kept in a “comfort station” for seven years. She was raped every day. After the war, she was unable to have children and never married. “Whenever I see other people visited by their grandchildren, I wish I had some, I feel envious of them… I feel lonely.”
Jan Ruff O’Herne, born in Indonesia, was 21 years old when she was forcibly taken to a “comfort station”. ”For us the war never ended… we carried this horrific shame… you feel dirty, you feel sorry, you feel different, you feel unworthy, they took away my youth, my possessions, my dignity.”
WHAT DO WE WANT? JUSTICE. NOW.
Many of the courageous survivors of the Japanese Imperial Army’s sexual slavery system continue to campaign for justice. The Government of Japan has so far failed to acknowledge its responsibility or legal liability for the enforced sexual slavery system during the Pacific War.
Time does not heal injustice. Youth are agents of change and we stand in solidarity with these courageous survivors, many of whom are now in their eighties; we are inspired by their campaign for justice and we will not allow this crime to be forgotten.
ACT NOW
Join us! Become part of the chorus of youth voices from the Asia Pacific region demanding justice for sexual slavery survivors.
Hey APYNers!
Please spare 2 or 3 minutes of your time to learn more about this issue by jumping on our APYN Demand Justice for Sexual Slavery Survivors Facebook Quiz. It’s educational and an easy way to learn and take action by helping spread the word. Once you’ve finished, try sending it to five or more of your friends. This is a simple way to raise awareness and support for this issue.
Click here: http://apps.facebook.com/apyn-demand-chbdibi/result?lol_user_id=516015433&_fb_q=1 now to test your knowledge on the issue.
Peace!