President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) promised on Sunday to assist Taiwanese “comfort women” in their legal efforts to obtain reparations from Japan.
During a call on one of the surviving “comfort women” in Taiwan, the president said his government would provide legal assistance to war victims seeking compensation and an apology from the Japanese authorities.
The 86-year-old woman, Lu Man-mei (盧滿妹) of Hsinchu County, was one of those who were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers during World War II.
She is one of 13 surviving “comfort women” in Taiwan. In 1999, nine of the Taiwanese women filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government, but it was dismissed by the Japanese Supreme Court in 2005.
During Ma’s visit, Lu showed him photos of herself when she was young. She had been working in a laundry until recently, but got hurt just before the Lunar New Year holiday and has not been able to return to work since then, she said.
During World War II, the Japanese army forced at least 400,000 women in China, Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines into prostitution.
In Taiwan, the number of victims is estimated at between 1,200 and 2,000, but only 58 have been confirmed as war victims by the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation.
Most of the 13 surviving “comfort women” in Taiwan live alone and suffer from diseases related to uterus damage, according to the foundation.
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
COOLING OFF: Temperatures are expected to fall to lows of about 20°C on Sunday and possibly 18°C to 19°C next week, following a wave of northeasterly winds on Friday The Central Weather Administration (CWA) on Sunday forecast more rain and cooler temperatures for northern Taiwan this week, with the mercury dropping to lows of 18°C, as another wave of northeasterly winds sweeps across the country. The current northeasterly winds would continue to affect Taiwan through today, with precipitation peaking today, bringing increased rainfall to windward areas, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng (劉沛滕) said. The weather system would weaken slightly tomorrow before another, stronger wave arrives on Friday, lasting into next week, Liu said. From yesterday to today, northern Taiwan can expect cool, wet weather, with lows of 22°C to 23°C in most areas,
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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