During World War II, more than 200,000 women, mostly from South Korea and other Asian countries, were used as sex slaves by the Japanese military and referred to as “comfort women”.
In Taiwan, ruled by Japan between 1895 and 1945, nearly 60 women have been considered over the years as survivors, according to “Taipei’s Women’s Rescue Foundation”, a foundation helping women victims of prostitution and sexual violence. The foundation estimates that the number of survivors was over two thousand on the island.
She said on Monday that the island’s last known survivor, called “Mamie”, died on May 10 at the age of 92.
“The issue of ‘comfort women’ is a blight in human history and the government has attached great importance to the dignity and well-being of Taiwanese survivors,” the Ministry of Health spokesperson said on Tuesday. Foreign Affairs Jeff Liu.
He added that the government “continued to express its concerns to the Japanese government” and “urged the Japanese side to meet our demand to apologize and compensate the Taiwanese ‘comfort women’ and their families.”
Japan’s wartime sexual slavery of women is a politically sensitive issue throughout Asia.
While the Japanese government has acknowledged the atrocities committed, critics point to officials who have refused over decades to take full responsibility for the use of sex slaves.
The debate had sparked protests in Taiwan, where women’s groups were demanding compensation for survivors. A request that for the moment only South Korea has officially obtained.
“Taipei’s Women’s Rescue Foundation” said it wanted to continue to ask Japan to compensate the victims despite the death of its “Grandma”.
“Although all of the grannies have passed away, we believe their spirits will forever be in our hearts,” the band said.
The foundation promises to advocate for the history of Taiwanese survivors to be included in school textbooks: “This piece of history will not disappear with the death of our grannies.”
Source: AFP
