President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday expressed regret that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe did not apologize over the “comfort women” issue in Abe’s statement marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Ma said during a meeting with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan that Abe mentioned words such as “aggression,” “colonial rule,” “calmly reflect upon,” “repentance” and “apology.”
Abe twice mentioned that “there were women behind the battlefields whose honor and dignity were severely injured,” Ma said.
Photo: CNA
“Regrettably, he did not offer an apology over the comfort woman issue,” Ma said.
The Republic of China government believes in the Japanese government’s willingness to reflect on its mistakes, but as a friend, we hope Japan will do more and do better in this regard,” he added.
“Comfort women” is a euphemism for women across Asia, including from Taiwan, who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.
According to Ma, in 1996 the UN Human Rights Council determined after a special investigation that comfort women were military sexual slaves.
After that, the parliament of 30 countries including the EU passed resolutions to support the idea that Japan should apologize to the women, he said.
This shows that the matter has obtained international consensus and is a key issue if Japan wants to improve its relations with Southeast Asian countries, Ma said.
The documentary Song of the Reed (蘆葦之歌) records the stories of six Taiwanese comfort women, some of whom have died since the completion of filming in 2013, Ma said, adding that some of them are still waiting for the Japanese government to take further action.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS