By Christine Khamis
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia
MANILA, Philippines –
A small number of former Philippine comfort women continued peaceful protests during Japanese Emperor Akihito’s state visit to the Philippines last week. In his talks with Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, Mr. Akihito failed to address the issue of the comfort women, who were forced into sexual slavery by members of the Japanese military during World War II.
Mr. Akihito’s state visit marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines. Mr. Akihito met with Mr. Aquino during his state visit and addressed the Japanese military’s World War II atrocities, but made no mention of the comfort women.
A presidential spokesman for Mr. Aquino stated last week that the issue of the comfort woman should be addressed by Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, instead of the emperor. Mr. Akihito’s position is largely ceremonial, but he has earned the respect of the Japanese people and may be in a prime position to apologize to the Philippine comfort women.
While the plight of Korean women forced into sex slavery during World War II is well known, there were also many comfort women who came from China and the Philippines. Researchers believe that over 1,000 comfort women came from the Philippines. 70 of those women are still alive.
One prior Phillipine comfort woman, Hilaria Bustamante, was abducted by Japanese soldiers in 1943 and taken to a Japanese garrison, where she was raped multiple times a day for 15 months. Ms. Bustamante is the oldest living Philippine comfort woman at this time, and says she will join street protests to continue the campaign to secure formal reparations from Japan.
In December 2015, Japan issued a formal apology to the South Korean women who were forced into sex slavery, along with a $8.3 million reparation payment. Japan has not made similar apologies to the comfort women of other countries, including the Philippines. Japan has made reparation payments, but those payments come from the private sector instead of the Japanese government. The former Philippine comfort women want formal reparations from the Japanese government itself instead, as well as recognition of their ordeal in Japan’s history books.
The issue of the Philippine comfort women may be overshadowed by the substantial trade agreements between Japan and the Philippines as well as their shared concern over China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea. Both Japan and the Philippines have territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea.
For more information, please see:
The New York Times – In Philippines, World War II’s Lesser-Known Sex Slaves Speak Out – 29 January 2016
Manila Bulletin – PH’s WWII Sex Slaves Demand Justice From Japan – 26 January 2016
Al Jazeera – Filipino Comfort Women Seek Talks With Japan’s Emperor – 25 January 2016
International Business Times – Japanese Emperor Visits Philippines Amid World War II Sex Slave, South China Sea Issues – 25 January 2016
