Asian Solidarity Conference for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan

8th Conference May 21, 2007

The 8th Asian Solidarity Conference for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, with the title “15 Years of Asian Solidarity, For Future Tasks and Coalition” was held from 19 to 21 May 2007, with participants from North and South Korea, Japan, Republic of China, Indonesia, the Philippines, the Netherlands, as well as USA, Germany, and Australia.

Since 1991, when the brave survivors’ testified to break their silence, we have made efforts in the UN and international bodies to bring about Government of Japan’s (GoJ) official apology and reparation; including declaring the Emperor Hirohito guilty at the 2000 Women’s International War Crimes Tribunal on Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery. These achievements are the result of the Asian and international community solidarity work, for the purpose of healing the pain and suffering of the survivors.

However, despite these efforts and achievements, GoJ is not only refusing to publicly apologize for their war crimes committed against the victims of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery System, but still refusing to give adequate reparation and to honor the facts and truth about Japanese Military Sexual Slavery. Instead, they are repeating statements of denial which appeases GoJ’s responsibilities. Furthermore, disregarding their acts of colonization and aggressive warfare in the past, they are returning to war waging state by reforming the Article Nine of the Japanese Constitution. In addition, the Asian Women Fund has been dissolved in March 2007; it has been confirmed that such a fund has not resolved the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery issue.

In this context, U.S.’s efforts to pass House Resolution 121 and the efforts to pass parliamentary motions in Canada and Australia, illustrate the broadening of coalition among international human rights organizations. It also reaffirms that the international community more and more realizes that the resolution of the issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan is not just relevant to the survivors and citizens of the perpetrator / victim countries, but it is a universal task important to our future.

Therefore, in hope and solidarity, we resolve to do the following:

1. We support activities to successfully pass the Congressional resolution and parliamentary motions in U.S., Canada, Australia and elsewhere.

2. We object the Government of Japan’s attempt to revise the 1993 “Kono statement” and we demand that the GoJ must take full responsibility and necessary execution of policies for official apology, reparation, truth and fact finding, as well as prevention of reoccurrence.

3. We demand the Government of Japan to carry out the recommendations by the UN Human Rights bodies, and we demand the UN Human Rights Council to monitor the issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan.

4. We support the network’s efforts to build peace and/or women’s museums centered on the issue of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery, dedicated to historical record making, remembering of history and public education.

5. We will expand the Asian Solidarity Conference for Resolution of Military Sexual Slavery issue into Global solidarity Conference, through which the spirit of last fifteen years of Asian activism and achievements will be continued and improved.