The Republic of China (ROC) government will continue to assist Taiwanese comfort women in demanding justice and restoration of their dignity from the Japanese government, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Anna Kao (高安) said yesterday.
Kao read out a two-paragraph statement in response to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement on Friday that his government would not revise the 1993 “comfort women” apology, known as the Kono Statement.
The statement, issued by then-Japanese chief Cabinet secretary Yohei Kono, apologizes to the women who were forced to provide sex to Japanese soldiers and acknowledged the Japanese military’s involvement in the comfort women system.
On Monday, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said on Facebook he was pleased to learn about Abe’s statement and that he hoped Tokyo would not change its position on the issue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has taken note of Abe’s remarks concerning issues related to comfort women and his understanding about its history, Kao said at a routine press briefing yesterday.
The ministry hopes the Japanese government will continue to take a responsible attitude toward history and promote cordial relations with other countries, Kao said.
It has been the consistent and firm position of the ROC government that the Japanese government should apologize to comfort women and give them compensation, Kao said, adding that the government would continue to assist Taiwanese comfort women in demanding justice and dignity.
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