The Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation yesterday held a memorial for 59 Taiwanese women who were used as “comfort women” for Japanese troops during World War II, and urged the Ministry of Education to include this part of history in the national curriculum.
The meeting was also held to observe International Comfort Women Memorial Day and remember Taiwan’s last comfort woman, who died in May.
In her opening speech, foundation executive director Tu Ying-chiu (杜瑛秋) quoted a Taiwanese comfort woman, who said that they were “deceived into accepting the job because they were under financial pressure.”
Photo: CNA
“She said they felt their bodies were dirty all the time in those days as comfort women. The experience affected their self-identity and resulted in them being discriminated against. We can only hope that the Japanese government will recognize its mistake, apologize and [offer compensation],” Tu said.
Taiwanese should face this era with honesty, view the comfort women system as a serious violation of women’s rights and include relevant records in the nation’s history, Tu said.
The Ministry of Education should also make it necessary to teach elementary, junior-high and high-school students about comfort women, so that they can learn about the importance of women’s rights, she said.
“The government should establish a national women’s rights museum to preserve relevant records and promote human rights education,” Tu added.
The Tainan Comfort Women Human Rights Equality Association also held a memorial ceremony around the city’s statue of an unnamed comfort woman. It is the only comfort woman statue in Taiwan.
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who has been a long-term supporter of causes involving comfort women, attended the ceremony.
Association chairman Tung Shiao-yun (童小芸) said that Taiwanese comfort women had not been fighting for financial compensation, but respect and dignity.
“Japan can settle comfort women issues with South Korea, apologize and agree to establish a foundation to compensate South Korean victims, but what about Taiwanese comfort women? So far, there has not been an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government and leaders. Nevertheless, our determination to pursue truth and justice will never cease,” Tung said.
“Japan and Taiwan simply cannot ignore the unfair treatment that Taiwanese comfort women endured during World War II simply because the two countries have good relations now,” Tung said.
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