28th Year of Wednesday Demonstration International Solidarity Statement Eng/Jpn

January 8, 2020, marks the 28th year of the Wednesday Demonstration and the 1421st Wednesday Demonstration for the Resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue. 43 organizations from 12 countries including Korea, New Zealand, U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, Germany, China, Japan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda announced the International Solidarity Statement.

Please find the English/Japanese versions of the statement, and solidarity statement from Lila Pilipina below.

International Solidarity Statement for the 28th Year of the Wednesday Demonstration and the 1421****st Wednesday Demonstration for Resolution of the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan

The year 2020 marks the 30th year since 37 women’s rights organizations in Korea established the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (the Korean Council) on November 16, 1990, and embarked on the movement for resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue. Today on this street, we stand with citizens to commemorate the 28th year of the Wednesday Demonstration that has demanded just resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue since its beginning on January 8th, 1992.

Throughout the past 28 years, the Wednesday Demonstration for Resolution of the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan did not give up on its persistent fight for justice, restoration of human rights and dignity for Japanese military sexual slavery victims. Furthermore, it had crossed national borders and generations to become an educational space for everyone to discuss and learn values of peace and human rights.

However, the Japanese Government that perpetrated the war crimes continues to deny the historical truths of the Japanese military sexual slavery, blindly argues for implementation of the 2015 Korea-Japan Agreement as a “final and irreversible” resolution, remains unrepentant and yet, dreams of transitioning into an “ordinary nation” that can declare war again.

Furthermore, the Japanese Government shamelessly interferes with the international citizens’ movement to remember the history of the Japanese military sexual slavery and to inherit the lives of victims through establishment of the Statue of Peace, and impedes the Butterfly Fund movement to establish solidarity among survivors of wartime sexual violence, following Kim Bok Dong and Gil Won-ok’s hope.

The Korean Government, which has promised to protect the victims and make all possible efforts for just resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue, also fails to carry out any detailed efforts to return the ‘consolation money’ of 1 billion yen to the Japanese Government and to restore victims’ dignity. The Korean Government disregards the voices of victims across the world calling for justice and turns a blind eye on the Japanese Government’s continued denial of war crimes and erasure of history.

The 2015 Korea-Japan Agreement that brought unspeakable suffering to the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery has been clarified as nothing more than a “political act between the Korean and Japanese Governments which holds no legal validity” by the ruling of the Constitutional Court in Korea. Now remaining tasks are for the Japanese Government to admit the war crimes and to carry out legal responsibilities including official apology and reparations, and the Korean Government to return the 1 billion yen to the Japanese Government and demand the Japanese Government to carry out its responsibilities according to the principles of victim-centered approach.

As we mark the 28th year of the Wednesday Demonstration, all of us who participate at the 1421st Wednesday Demonstration come together with citizens across the world to stand in solidarity for justice and to demand the following:

The Japanese Government,

Admit the war crimes and stop distortion of history!

Make official apology and legal reparations to the Japanese military sexual slavery victims!

Establish memorials and museums, and educate the correct history!

Stop unjustified interference with the movement for restoration of victims’ human rights, including establishment of Statue of Peace and Butterfly Fund!

The Korean Government,

Immediately return the ‘consolation money’ of 1 billion yen to the Japanese Government!

Demand the Japanese Government to follow the principles of victim-centered approach and to make proactive efforts for just resolution of the Japanese military sexual slavery issue!

8 January 2020

The Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance

for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan

(New Zealand) Korean New Zealanders for a Better Future, (United States) Washington Butterfly for Hope, Washington Friends of Statue of Peace, Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues, One Heart for Justice, Education for Social Justice Foundation, Chicago KAN-WIN, Nabi Fund LA, Houston Sewol HAMBI, (Canada) ALPHA Education, (United Kingdom) Justice for ‘Comfort Women’ U.K., (Ireland) Ireland Candlelight Action, (Australia) Rev. Bill Crews, Friends of ‘Comfort Women’ in Sydney, Justice and Human Rights for All – Brisbane, Melbourne ‘Comfort Women’ Memorial Task Force, (Germany) Korea Verband, (China) Committee for Statue of Peace in China, (Japan) Japan Nationwide Action for Resolution of the Japan’s Military “Comfort Women” Issue, Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace, Japan All Solidarity Network for the Settlement of the “Comfort Women” Issue, Kobe Group for “Comfort Women” Issue, The network of Hokkaido for knowing the past and the present¸ Kawasaki Citizens’ Group for Resolution of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Issue, Kyoto Group for Resolution of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery Issue, Group for uncovering the facts of Japanese military’s sexual violence in Shanxi (China) and acting in solidarity with the Grandmas(Shanxi Group for uncovering the facts), Council for Wartime Sexual Violence Issue, Violence Against Women in War Research Action Center, Support Group for Taiwanese Survivors of Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery, Support Group for Chinese Survivors of Japan’s Military Sexual Slavery¸ Women’s Committee National Christian Council in Japan, Kitakyusyu group aiming at the solution of “Comfort Women”’s problem, The Hiroshima Network for the Solution of Japan’s Military ‘Comfort Women’ Issue, Kansai Network for Justice of the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Issue, Amagasaki Group for Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Issue, Group against the Issue of “Comfort Women” for the Former Japanese Soldiers in Fukuyama, Osaka-Kobe-Hanshin Liaison Meeting with Japanese Army “Comfort Women”, The Support Group of the Philippine Comfort Women in Tokyo-Santama (Lola-net), Japanese Committee For Filipino〝Comfort Women”(JCFCW), Support Group for Women Victims of Sexual Slavery by the Japanese Military, (Democratic Republic of the Congo) REMED, (Uganda) Can Rewede Pee

LILA PILIPINA SOLIDARITY STATEMENT ON THE 28TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WEDNESDAY DEMONSTRATION

LILA PILIPINA sends its salutation to our halmonis, our lolas, the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, anmd all our sisters and brothers who continue to determinedly call for justice for all women victims of Japanese wartime military sex slavery.

It has been twenty eight years since our halmonis, our Lolas, came forward with their stories. Yet, justice remains as elusive, even more so now that Japan is once again flexing its military might in the Asia Pacific region.

That the country is yet to apologize for its wartime crimes, yet the Shinzo Abe government is embarking again on a military adventure in defiance of its own Constitution, and against the wishes of the Japanese people, is a cause for concern for all peace-loving peoples of the region.

Even the memory of the massive sexual violence inflicted on women in countries it occupied during World War II is being obliterated by the Japanese government which is pressing for the removal of all memorials. At the same time, it is expanding pantheons it has built for its own wartime military force, presenting them as heroes and liberators of other nations. This has no other objective but to foster a false understanding of history among the young and therefore obfuscate calls for atonement for its wartime crimes. This has no other objective but to soften its own peoples’ resistance to what it has now conjured as a war against terrorism that purportedly is threatening Japan.

While justice has remained elusive for us, we have learned to take courage in our decades-long fight for justice. We take it upon ourselves not only to remain committed to this fight but to sound out as well the clearest and loudest warning for all our young people to resist militarism and wars of aggression wherever they happen.

That no people must be defenseless and helpless in the face of aggression. That young people, especially women, must learn to fight, first by being vigilant and by remaining united in our opposition to these crimes.

Many of our halmonis, our Lolas, have since passed on but they have paved the path for the quest for justice for the current and future generations. We in Lila Pilipina, in particular, are inspired by the commitment we have seen among our sisters and brothers from the Council, and by the numerous young people who continue to keep the fire burning for justice for our halmonis.

On this date, let our calls reverberate : Justice for All Victims of Japanese Wartime Sex Slavery ! No to Militarism ! No to Wars of Aggression ! No to Sexual Violence Against Women !

LILA PILIPINA

8 January 2020