Citizens group urges Abe government to compensate, apologize to former ‘comfort women’

(THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)A Japanese citizens group on Nov. 18 submitted an “emergency request” to the government to provide official compensation and apologize to former “comfort women” for Japan’s wartime actions.

“Ianfu” Mondai Kaiketsu All Rentai Network (‘comfort women’ issue resolution all solidarity network) called on the government to resolve the issue in a manner convincing to the victims.

The citizens group consists of 45 support organizations in Japan, including lawyers, and about 300 individuals.

The group’s move came after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye agreed to accelerate negotiations toward an early resolution of the comfort women issue during their summit on Nov. 2. Director general-level talks began between the two countries nine days later.

Relations between Japan and South Korea have been hampered by the issue of “comfort women,” a euphemism for women, many from the Korean Peninsula, who were forced to provide sex for Japanese soldiers before and during World War II.

Japan apologized to former comfort women in a 1993 statement issued under the name of then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono. The Kono statement also acknowledges coercion in the recruitment, transfer and control of the women.

The citizens group called on the current Abe government to acknowledge Japan’s human rights violations and historical responsibility, and offer its own apology to the women.

“The Abe Cabinet takes the position that it will carry on the Kono statement, so it is reasonably possible for the government to express an apology after accepting the facts recognized in the Kono statement,” the group’s request said.

The group was also critical of the Asian Women’s Fund, which was set up to assist former comfort women and consisted largely of donations from Japanese citizens.

“The solution proposal based on the framework of the Asian Women’s Fund, which obscures the responsibility of the nation, cannot be accepted by the victims,” the group said in its request.

It also urged the government to change its long-held stance that all war reparation issues were legally resolved under a 1965 treaty signed by Japan and South Korea.

The group said Japan can offer reparations to individuals “with a political decision by the Japanese government.”