>> Progress

After the World WarĄ±

     As the Pacific War came to an end, many issues such as adequate compensation for the crimes committed during the war came up. However, Japan failed to resolve the matter as thoroughly as Germany did. The only case in which compelled(?) prostitution during the war was considered seriously was the cases in Dutch Indonesia regarding a Dutch woman, although it never brought up much concern in countries other than Neverland.
(Ref: Information of Case in Dutch Indonesia)

     The Comfort Women matter was raised again by feminist groups of Korea in the late 1980's. They gathered testimonies from the former Comfort Women and wrote a report, which aroused a public opinion of this matter in Korea.

     In May, 1990, president Roh Tae Woo of Korea visited Japan and asked for cooperation in this matter. One month later, Moto-oka Shoji, a Japanese House member, demanded that a research be initiated concerning this problem to the Japanese government. However, the government insisted that the government nor the army had any relation with the matter, and that it was probably done by non-government groups.

     In response to this, the feminist groups established the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, in November, 1990. The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan then sent an open letter to the Japanese Prime Minister Kaifu Toshiki, which listed the following six demands:

1. That the Japanese government admit the forced draft of Korean women as comfort women;
2. That a public apology be made for this;
3. That all barbarities be fully disclosed;
4. That a memorial be raised for the victims;
5. That the survivors or their bereaved families be compensated;
6. That these facts be continuously related in historical education so that such misdeeds are not repeated. (?)

     In April, 1991, the Japanese embassy in Seoul delivered the official statement of the Japanese government:

'There is no proof that we have taken Korean women coercively, therefore no official apologies, explanations, or a memorial to the dead shall be made. Indemnity problems have been concluded in Korean-Japanese treaty in 1965.'
(Ref: Korean-Japanese basic treaty) 

     In the summer of 1991, Ms. Kim Hak Sun disclosed the fact that she had been one of the victims and by December, and a lawsuit against the Japanese government was raised. The Korean government also strongly demanded that Japan  reveal the real facts of the matter.

     Conclusively, on January 12, 1992, Professor Yoshimi Yoshiaki of Juo university, Japan, found a decisive proof in one of the books from the Japanese Defense Institute that the Japanese army was behind the operation of Comfort Stations, once denied to have  existed by the government. He contributed an article to the Asahi newspaper, putting Japan in an awkward position.

     As a response, on January 13, 1992, Minister of Foreign Affairs Gato became the first to acknowledge the involvement of the Japanese army in Comfort Women matter, and in the Korean-Japanese summit conference in January, 1992, there was a conventional apology.

     After that, by human rights organizations from all over the world, assemblies of victims in Eastern Asia, some conscientious intellectuals in Japan, and feminist groups,  related data have been disclosed, and more testimonies were given.(?) The Japanese government, in response, suggested to offer a non-governmental fund. However it was considered an insult to most of the victims, and therefore rejected. Human rights organizations urged the Japanese government to give an official compensation.

     On July 6, 1992, Japan published the "Results of Investigation into the Question of 'Military Comfort Women' Originating from the Korean Peninsula." In this, Japan acknowledged that the government had involved, however still denied compulsive conscription. In response to this, on July 31, 1992, the Korean government published "Interim Report of the Fact-Finding Investigation on Military Comfort Women under Japanese Imperialism," and concluded that the Japanese army had been actively involved in planning, establishment, conscription, transportation, management, of Comfort Stations.  Korea urged Japan to give an honest admission. On September 1, 1992, the North Korean government also published "An Indictment: The Japanese Government Must Fully Establish the Truth on the 'Military Comfort Women' Question and Sincerely Apologize," with testimonies from the victims and criticisms against denial of compulsive conscription.

     In August 1992, the Japanese government firstly acknowledged trickeries and abduction during the conscription. However it was reproached for being an expedient statement, a preparation for the committee held by UN on December.

Asian Women's Fund(AWF)

     In response to the mounting international pressure, the Japanese government initiated the establishment of the Asian Women's Fund (AWF) in July 1995 with "the aim of expressing a sense of national atonement from the Japanese people to the former 'Comfort Women' and to work to address contemporary issues regarding the honor and dignity of women" (Asian Women's Fund 1997:3).  However it is clear that this funding was established in an intention to elude the legal responsibilities and wrap up the problem, and therefore it is met with fierce oppositions from the victims.(?)

Activities in Worldwide

     Since 1992,  the Comfort Women problem has been discussed in UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and in June, 1993, during the human rights conference in Vienna, it was confirmed that UN will oppose sexual slavery of the past as well as the present..

     The Comfort Women problem is a war crime against humanity. The international society has been endeavoring to prevent the happening of such crimes. The worldwide organizations of international women rights movements, human rights movements, and peace movements, including UN and ILO, are putting pressure on Japan.

     Organizations from Japan, Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Hong Kong have participated in international movements, starting a Asian joint conference since 1992. They have been exchanging information and cooperating with other international organizations, including UN.

     UN plays a big role in this, as it is an authoritative international organization which can affect the Japanese government. Also, with UN, many other organizations worldwide can join in the debate.

     Since Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan introduced this matter to the UN Human Rights Commission, organizations in Philippines and Japan have been attending many human rights conferences, demanding UN to investigate this problem and set up a plan to solve this issue. Owing to this efforts, Radica Kumaraswami, an informer of women harassment, published a report on military sexual slavery during war in Korea and Japan. In this report, Japanese government conceded that establishment of Comfort Stations was against the international law, and that the Japanese government should be of legal responsibilities. Also, since the victims are of advanced ages, it was stated that this problem should be solved quickly. There will be punishments for ones of charge, and a historical education will be given to students about this matter. A Complete investigation will be made, and an official apology shall be given.
(Ref: Radica Kumaraswami's UN report)

     On the other hand, in 1998 and 1999, there was Ms. Gay J. McDougall's report made on violence against women during war, including systematic assaults, and other types of slaveries. This report put Japan in a hard place, but the problem hasn't been settled completely. Also, ICJ visited and investigated in Korea, Japan, Philippines, and North Korea, and published a report, which demanded adequate measures to be made for the victims.
(Ref: Ms. Gay J. McDougall's UN report)

     Also since 1995, labor associations in Korea and Japan have been arguing that coercive conscription done by Japan is against regulation of compulsive laboring of ILO. This movement took effect immediately and  reports in 1996 and 1997 state that Japanese government should pay certain compensations for violating the regulation.

     However, the Japanese government's attitude didn't change a bit. To this, the angry civil organizations tried to bring this matter to the court. This is similar to the Russel court, the case in Vietnam concerning the war crimes during the Vietnam War. Civil organizations from Japan and other Asian countries with world famous scholars and lawyers held an international court of Japan's military sexual slavery in December, 2000.

     Also, there are associations in America and Canada working on this issue. In forms of essays in universities, the investigation is continuing.

     However, Japan is saying, since all this happened before UN was organized, UN has no right to force Japan to do anything about this and that Japan will not accept any interference from UN.