Liu Huang A-tao (劉黃阿桃), the first Taiwanese woman to accuse the Japanese government of driving thousands of Taiwanese women into sex slavery during World War II, died on Thursday at the age of 90.
Liu Huang united eight other Taiwanese self--proclaimed former “comfort women” to file lawsuits against the Japanese government. Her death, from natural causes, marked a chapter in the women’s battle for justice against the atrocities allegedly perpetrated by occupying Japanese forces.
The leader of a women’s group said “Grandma A-tao” had waited 66 years for justice, but did not receive a word of apology from the Japanese government before she passed away.
Photo Courtesey of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation
Kang Shu-hua (康淑華), chief executive of the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, which helps Taiwanese comfort women seek justice and compensation from Japan, described what happened to Liu Huang before she returned to Taiwan in 1945 after Japan surrendered to the Allied forces.
Foundation chairwoman Huang Shu-ling (黃淑玲) said Japan had tried in 1995 to make “private” peace with the surviving comfort women through an “Asian Women’s Fund” in an attempt to evade public responsibility for its war-time atrocities.
She said Liu Huang was encouraged by a South Korean comfort woman who said: “It is not us, but the Japanese government, that should feel ashamed.”
After hearing that, Liu Huang decided to publicly accuse the Japanese government of inhumane treatment of Taiwanese women, Huang said. Liu Huang led eight other former comfort women to file international lawsuits against the Japanese government from 1999 to 2005, demanding an apology and compensation.
Sixty-nine years ago, Liu Huang was duped into service in Southeast Asia, being told she would work as a nurse, but was actually forced into providing sex services to Japanese soldiers, Huang said. Three days after she landed in Indonesia, she was injured during a battle and had to have her womb removed, Huang said, adding that Liu Huang kept all these tribulations to herself after she returned to Taiwan in 1945.
She later married a retired soldier whose love and patience informed a new phase of life. They adopted a child and raised a family together.
The assertion by the South Korean woman prompted Liu Huang to become the first Taiwanese to make public accusations of sex slavery against Japan, Huang said.
During the process of filing lawsuits against Japan, Liu Huang said: “We’re all cherished daughters in the eyes of our parents. Since the Japanese army robbed us of our virginity, it’s not too much to demand an apology from such a government.”
Kang said many comfort women had taken their stories with them to their graves, adding that they had never heard a single word of apology from Japan while they were alive.
It’s truly sad, Kang said, that after Japan ruined so many lives, those lives have now ended. She vowed to use her foundation’s resources to continue to help the surviving former comfort women fight for justice, which she said would be one way to respect the memory of Liu Huang.
With the passing of Liu Huang, only 10 Taiwanese comfort women remain. They are all waiting for an apology from Japan, Kang said.
Liu Huang’s actions encouraged other victims to shed their sense of shame and join hands to confront Japan and demand justice, Kang said.
Huang recalled a moment when Liu Huang showed her a scar on the right side of her abdomen and said: “This is where my pain is, do you know?”
In 2002, the Taiwanese comfort women lost their lawsuit against Japan. From that point, the Taipei Women’s Rescue -Foundation changed its strategy, joining forces with Japanese and South Korean legal associations to push for Japanese parliamentary legislation to address the issue. Japan’s parliament vetoed the -legislative -proposal, but the foundation launched a new round of efforts last year to urge Japan to compensate the women.
Liu Huang’s funeral service will he held on Saturday.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or