2014: 2nd Memorial Day - Statement

"Trostfrauen", "Comfort Women"

Vom Korea Council erreicht uns die folgende Erklärung vom 13. August 2014

The 1139th Wednesday Demonstration for the Japanese military sexual slavery (“comfort women”) issue and
Global Action Commemorating the 2nd International Memorial Day for the “Comfort Women”


- Statement -

On August 14th in 1991, Hak-soon Kim spoke out that she was a living proof of “comfort women” to the Japanese government hiding the truth of and lying about the “comfort women” system. Today, we are here to remember her words and imprint them in us one more time. We will try to incarnate her courageous words into a new hopeful history. Her words have broken the silence of the victims of “comfort women” who had beared the one of the darkest moments of the Japanese imperial war and colonial history. 

With continuous denial on the Japanese military sexual slavery, the Japanese government’s recent attempts on retrogressive amendment of the Article no. 9 and rearming the military are becoming our another hardship to tackle this issue but the will of the people gathered in Pyunghwa-ro(peace street) will overcome such hardship and advance the peace we desire.

Our demands raised in Pyunghwa-ro cannot be stopped until the day when the justice brings to the victims of “comfort women” system, when women whose bodies are utilized in various ways under the situations of gender discrimination, repression, and armed conflicts at this moment, become the master of their own bodies.

On the occasion of the 2nd International Memorial Day for the “Comfort Women,” we are refusing to stay only for remembering the painful and shameful history we experienced. By inscribing “comfort women” survivors’ courage and struggle in us, we will become pioneers who advance the peaceful world without war and violence against women. The victims of “comfort women” have reborn as historical witnesses and peace activists by breaking the silence forced upon them.

We urge the Japanese government hiding the truth, the South Korean government neglecting this issue, and the war mongers violating lives and human rights to accept our demands as follows:

-To fully disclose of the Japanese military sexual slavery, take the full responsibility, deliver the official apology, and pay legal compensation to the victims of the Japanese military sexual slavery!

-To immediately stop all types of attempts on distorting and denying the history of the “comfort women” and educate it correctly!

-To stop rearmament and attempts on retrogressive revising the Article no. 9, and take the responsibility for war and colonial related crimes!

(to the South Korean government)

-To proactively put diplomatic efforts to tackle the “comfort women” issue and immediately respond to the South Korean Constitutional Court’s decision!

(to the International society)

-To stop all types of wars and armed conflicts and to enhance its political and legislative efforts to stop violence against women and to tackle the “comfort women” issue

August 13, 2014

All the participants of the 1139th Wednesday Demonstration for the Japanese military sexual slavery issue
and
Global Action Commemorating the 2nd International Memorial Day for the “Comfort Women