President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday said that his administration would step up efforts to push for an official apology and compensation from Japan for forcing Taiwanese women to serve as “comfort women” during World War II.
“We need to pick up speed and solve the problem,” Ma said in his New Year’s Day address.
His administration will continue to demand that Japan deliver long overdue justice and restore the dignity of the victims, Ma said, adding that he has asked Taiwan’s representative in Japan to deal with the matter.
Ma’s comments followed Monday’s agreement between Japan and South Korea, in which Japan agreed to apologize for its actions regarding South Korean comfort women during the war and donate about ￥1 billion (US$8.29 million) to a foundation set up by the South Korean government to help former comfort women.
That same day, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an apology to the South Korean comfort women.
Taiwan has been asking for a similar agreement and an apology.
The term comfort women refers to women taken from Japan, the former Japanese colonies of Taiwan and Korea, as well as Japanese occupied territories in China and Southeast Asia to provide sexual services for Japanese military personnel during the war.
The exact number of comfort women remains unknown, but historians estimate that as many as 400,000 women were forced into sexual service during the war.
In his speech, Ma highlighted Taiwan’s role as a peacemaker and a provider of humanitarian aid, which he said has won global acclaim during his tenure.
Relations with the US, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, the EU and ASEAN have reached the best point of the past 40 years, he said.
Ma also touted Taiwan’s efforts to attract foreign visitors, saying that the nation saw a record 10.43 million visitors in the past year.
This is an indication of Taiwan’s growing popularity in the international arena, Ma said.
The number of nations and territories that grant preferential treatment to Republic of China passport holders increased from 54 to 161 since he took office in 2008, he said.
“At the same time, an increasing number of Taiwanese are going abroad, which demonstrates that Taiwan has become a constructive member of the international community thanks to the nation’s open-door policy and peace initiatives,” Ma said.
It was Ma’s last New Year’s Day address as president before his second four-year term ends in May.
The presidential and legislative elections are scheduled for Jan. 16.
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