Asian Women Hail UN Sex-Slave Ruling
By ERIC PRIDEAUX
11:27 AM ET 08/28/99
TOKYO (AP) - Supporters of Asian women forced into sexual slavery by Japan's
army during World War II praised on Saturday a U.N. resolution urging compensation from
Tokyo. In a 15-2 resolution Thursday, the U.N. Subcommission on Human Rights stressed that
under international law, governments are responsible for war crimes and other rights
violations committed by their soldiers.
The U.N. rejected Japanese claims that it has already compensated war victims
sufficiently, and is under no obligation to give more money.
Former comfort women and groups that represent them said the U.N. resolution
will help them obtain restitution from a government that they claim wishes the issue would
simply disappear.
``Apparently, Japan wants to wait until one by one, all the aging women die
away, hoping that will solve its problem,'' said Kim Soon-duk, 79. Kim said she was forced
to work as a sex slave for three years, moving with Japanese troops in Shanghai, Nanjing
and other Chinese cities.
Officials at Japan's foreign ministry, which handles the issue of war
reparations, were unavailable for comment. Historians say up to 200,000 women were
forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military.
Filipino activists also welcomed the U.N. resolution. ``It means the
international community has clearly noted that the Japanese government has an
obligation,'' said Nelia Sancho, head of the Lila Pilipina, a group supporting Filipino
wartime sex slaves, and coordinator of the Asian Women Human Rights Center.
Etsuro Totsuka, a Japanese lawyer who has represented former sex slaves, said
the U.N. resolution rejected Japan's ``only substantial legal defense'' against paying
compensation. He said it was time for Japan to start paying reparations to all of its
wartime victims as Germany has done for years.
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