Hoping that the souls of the Chinese ‘comfort women’ rest in peace

By ZHANG ZHOUXIANG

The legal process may take some time, but whatever the final outcome, the fact that the descendants of 18 “comfort women” sexually exploited by Japanese soldiers during World War II have filed lawsuits in the Shanxi High People’s Court against the Japanese government, sets a good precedent for seeking justice.

As early as 1992, some “comfort women” had demanded an official apology and compensation from the Japanese government; a Japanese court heard the case for the first time three years later. With the help of lawyers from both countries and after a lengthy trial from 1995 to 2007, the Japanese court finally admitted the historical facts but did not approve the demand for an apology or compensation.

Japan claims to believe in the rule of law, but a self-contradictory ruling that acknowledges historical facts while absolving the government of any responsibility or compensation for them leaves the public questioning whether their judiciary is really as independent as it goes on politically sensitive issues. issues. In fact, the extremely long time it took for the Japanese court to issue a judgment at all, namely twelve years during which some of the women who had suffered, was also seen as an attempt to postpone the issue so that it could be dealt with naturally wise becomes extinct. dead.

On Friday, the Japanese government reportedly approved new textbooks for high schools that claim the “comfort women” system existed but was “not coercive.” This is what some Japanese high school students will read when the new academic session begins in fall 2025.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea issued a statement in response to this development and even arranged a meeting with the Japanese ambassador there to convey their response. It shows that Japan’s attempts to deny past atrocities will not be accepted.

In 2021, a court in Seoul had ordered Japan to compensate 12 ‘comfort women’, shedding light on the possibility of the victims from China getting justice from a domestic court. The precedent set by the court in ROK is definitely an encouragement for the advancement of all those who have suffered the indignity of being “comfort women” to one day get justice. The 18 Chinese ‘comfort women’ are no more, but we hope their souls will rest in peace once justice is done.