RP reminds Japan of need to adhere to apology on comfort women

The Philippines yesterday reminded Japan of the importance of adhering to the Kono Statement of 1993, which acknowledged that many women were forced into prostitution and contained the Japanese government’s apology to the victims of white slavery.

The Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono acknowledged that the Japanese military was, directly or indirectly, involved in the establishment and management of comfort stations where comfort women lived in misery under a coercive atmosphere.

Although no apology was demanded by the Philippines from Japan, Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Franklin Ebdalin told Japan in his statement that "the Philippines reiterates the importance of adhering to the language and tone of the Kono Statement of 1993 and of former Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi’s 2002 letter to the Filipina comfort women-victims."

Ebdalin quoted Koizumi as saying in his letter that "the issue of comfort women, with an involvement of the Japanese military authorities at that time, was a grave affront to the honor and dignity of large numbers of women."

"As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women. We must not evade the weight of the past, nor should we evade our responsibilities for the future," the letter said.

In August 1993, Kono announced the result of the study on the issue of wartime "comfort women" since December 1991.

The study indicated that comfort stations were operated in extensive areas for long periods and it is apparent that there existed a great number of comfort women. Comfort stations were operated in response to the request of the military authorities of the day.

It also showed that the Japanese military then was, directly or indirectly, involved in the establishment and management of the comfort stations and the transfer of comfort women.

The study revealed that, in many, cases the women were recruited against their will, through coaxing, coercion and other means and that, at times, administrative or military personnel directly took part in their recruitment.

"They lived in misery at comfort stations under a coercive atmosphere," the study said.

Kono said that "it was an act, with the involvement of the military authorities of the day, that severely injured the honor and dignity of many women."

"The government of Japan would like to take this opportunity once again to extend its sincere apologies and remorse to all those, irrespective of place of origin, who suffered immeasurable pain and incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women," Kono said in a statement dated Aug. 4, 1993.

He said that Japan shall face the historical facts instead of evading them and take them to heart as lessons of history.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sparked international outrage last week by saying that there was no evidence to prove that women were forced into military brothels across Asia.

Abe denied that Asian women were forced to have sex with Japanese troops during World War II, saying "there was no coercion, such as kidnappings, by the Japanese authorities. There is no reliable testimony that proves kidnapping."

He also said economic conditions and sex brokers might have pressured the women to work in brothels, but criticized a United States bill demanding an apology from Japan and outright recognition of its involvement.

"The US bill is not based on objective facts, nor based on the premise that Japan (has already) apologized," Abe told a parliamentary committee. – Pia Lee-Brago, AFP