1400th Wednesday Demonstration & 7th International Memorial Day for Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Statement & Thank You

[1400th Wednesday Demonstration and the International Solidarity Demonstration for the 7th International Memorial Day for Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Statement]

“Victims’ #Me_Too and Our #With_You! Japanese Government, Listen to “Comfort Women” Victims!”

28 years ago, Kim Hak-soon halmoni shouted “I am the very evidence” and first revealed the crimes of the Japanese Government. Kim Hak-soon halmoni’s courageous testimony crossed the border to North Korea and spread across the Asia-Pacific region to draw victims’ #Me_Too.

Japanese military “comfort women” victims’ courageous testimony spread beyond the Asia-Pacific region to reach the international community including the United Nations, and drew the UN’ s attention to the issues of sexual violence in conflict including the Japanese military sexual slavery, Bosnia, Kosovo, and etc.

Furthermore, the victims’ testimony pushed the United Nations Human Rights Council to demand punishment of the perpetrators for the crimes of Japanese military sexual slavery and to establish principles to restore and protect the rights to reparations for victims of wartime sexual violence, which are grieve violations to the international human rights and humanitarian laws as the Japanese military sexual slavery. The victims’ testimony also dedicated to the proclamation of June 19 as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict.

The Wednesday Demonstration has continued since 1992 for the Japanese military “comfort women” victims to call for the Japanese Government to admit its war crimes and to carry out legal responsibilities including official apology and legal reparations. The Wednesday Demonstration has spread beyond Korea to Japan and to citizens across the world to create an international #With_You.

To remember the victims and survivors who have testified, to remember the victims who went missing in the war zones or were unable to share their names and are still praying for the day to return home, and to remember the last 30 years of movement, the Korean Council and citizens across the world established the Statue of Peace. Now the Statue of Peace has spread to the U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia, and etc. to again, create an international #With_You.

Nevertheless, the Japanese Government that perpetrated inhumane war crimes claims that the 2015 Agreement resolved all issues, distorts the historical facts, and denies its war crimes and legal responsibilities. The Japanese Government forces silence on the victims by using monetary means to the governments of victimized nations including the Philippines, and does not refrain from imposing pressure, including forced removal, against establishment of the Statue of Peace by the international citizens to promote the historical facts and to stand in solidarity for resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. 
Rather than reflecting on its war crimes, the Japanese Government threatens the dignity and human rights of the Japanese military “comfort women” victims in dreams of reviving its militarism and makes flagrant attempts to revise the Peace Constitution to jeopardize peace in Northeast Asia.
Moreover, the records of the U.S. and Allied Forces, which were investigated and announced in recent years as evidences to the war crimes of the Japanese Government, show that the U.S. and Allied Forces share responsibility for concealment of war crimes and impunity, which in turn contributed to the Japanese Government’s unabashed glorification and concealment of war crimes and shameless claims that “there is no evidence that the ‘comfort women’ were forcibly mobilized,” 
Amidst the atmosphere acquiescing concealment of the perpetrating nations’ war crimes and impunity of perpetrators, the inhumane crimes of wartime sexual violence like the Japanese military sexual slavery have not ceased for 74 years since the end of World War II. In Uganda, DR Congo, Vietnam, North Iraq, Nigeria, and etc., the crimes of wartime sexual violence continue.

Nonetheless, the #Me_Too started by the Japanese military “comfort women” victims 28 years ago has become butterflies hoping for emancipation of women from all violence in conflict. The butterflies have created solidarity for resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery and elimination of wartime sexual violence, and shared hope for the survivors’ movement in Uganda, DR Congo, and Kosovo.

Today at Pyonghwa-ro (Peace Road), in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, we have gathered here from around the world to demand the following for just resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue and for elimination of wartime sexual violence.

1. We urge the Japanese government:

1. The Japanese government should stop all forms of actions that defame honor and human rights of the Japanese military “comfort women” victims and acknowledge the war crimes!
2. The Japanese government should disclose all documents related to the Japanese military sexual slavery and investigate the truth thoroughly!
3. The Japanese government should implement legal responsibilities including formal apology and reparation to the victims!
4. The Japanese government should record correct historical facts in school textbooks and teach those facts in schools. 
5. The Japanese government should stop illegitimate actions such as withdrawn the statue of peace that have established around the world, which was established to remember and pass on the victims’ lives and threaten the establishment of the statue of peace!

2. We urge the all victims’ governments:

1. The victims’ governments should demand the Japanese government to implement its legal responsibilities including acknowledgement of war crimes, formal apology and reparation in order to achieve full restoration of human rights and honor for the Japanese military “comfort women” victims!
2. The victims’ governments should implement responsibilities as the victims’ governments for restoration of victims’ human rights and honors in their own nations!

3. We urge the international community:

1. The United Nations should conduct a full scale investigation to realize elimination of wartime sexual violence based on the UN Security Council Resolution 1820, which stipulates punishment of perpetrators and remedy measures of victims, in order to realization of justice for the Japanese military sexual slavery victims of in-humanitarian crimes as the United Nations human rights institutions have confirmed repeatedly! 
2. The international community should strongly urge the Japanese government to seek out lasting resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue by recognizing legal responsibilities including acknowledgement of war crimes, formal apology and reparations as the United Nations Human Rights Institutions have recommended!
3. The U.S. government and Allied forces’ governments took part in the World War II should disclose all documents related to the Japanese military sexual slavery! 
4. The international community should condemn the Japanese government that hinders the victims’ human rights movement of imposing illegitimate pressure and interference activities on the statue of peace to erase historical facts of war crimes!