Statement Demanding Apology and Compensation from the Japanese Government in Response to Lawsuits Filed by Victims and Families of Japanese Military Sexual Violence in China (Updated on Sep. 1)

Individual Endorsement https://forms.gle/EFA4urDVL2FpCusu8
Organization Endorsement https://forms.gle/Ewh8Spi8iXrihEXn8

Japanese https://femizemi.org/2024/08/statement2024campaign/
English https://femizemi.org/2024/08/statement2024campaign-eng/
简体中文 https://femizemi.org/2024/08/statement2024mandarin/
繁體中文 https://femizemi.org/2024/08/statement_tc2024/
（성명서）　https://femizemi.org/2024/08/statement2024korean/

In August, eight victims of Japanese military sexual violence in Hunan Province, China, filed a lawsuit at the Hunan High People’s Court, seeking damages from the Japanese government. Earlier this year in April, families of 18 victims of Japanese military sexual violence in Shanxi Province, China, collectively filed a civil lawsuit against the Japanese government at the Shanxi High People’s Court.

During the 1990s and 2000s, victims of Japanese military sexual violence in Shanxi Province filed three lawsuits in Japanese courts, seeking an apology and compensation from the Japanese government. Although the courts recognized the facts of the cases, the compensation claims were dismissed, and the plaintiffs, who were victims, have since passed away. The lawsuits in Shanxi Province are led by the families who supported the victims during the trials in Japan, carrying on the victims’ wishes. The victims in Hunan Province, who have recently come forward, were inspired by the movement in Shanxi Province and have now filed their lawsuits.

In South Korea, in 2023, the Seoul High Court ruled against granting sovereign immunity to the Japanese government and ordered compensation for victims of the Japanese military sexual slavery system. Disillusioned by the outcomes of trials in Japan and the government’s inadequate response, victims turned to their own courts for justice. The families of victims in Shanxi Province and the victims in Hunan Province are expressing their deep anger and raising their voices for justice after more than 30 years of being ignored by the Japanese government. Across the Asia-Pacific region, other victims and their families of Japanese military violence, as well as people around the world who empathize with their plight, are raising their voices, turning the demand for justice into a global movement.

This issue will not end without Japan facing its responsibility for sexual violence, colonial rule, and war of aggression. Even if the victims pass away, an official apology and legal compensation are still necessary. The Japanese government has tried to “resolve” this issue through means other than official apologies and legal compensation, such as the Asian Women’s Fund and the Japan-South Korea Agreement, while simultaneously working to remove symbolic representations of the victims, such as the Statue of Peace, in an attempt to silence them[1]. What the victims seek is not just any apology, but a sincere and formal one, free of political subterfuge. We, who live in the generations after the victims, will remember the courageous struggle of the victims who exposed the sexual violence perpetrated by the Japanese state and will continue to pursue the responsibility of the Japanese government. If such a large-scale state-perpetrated sexual violence is not met with an apology and reparation, then there is no justice or human rights in the society we live in.

Among the victims in Shanxi Province, there are those who strongly rejected being referred to as “comfort women.” As much research has shown, in the regions invaded by the Japanese military during World War II, intense sexual violence by the military took many forms. While the comfort stations, a sexual slavery system established, managed, and operated by the military, are well-known, Japanese military sexual violence took various other forms, including rape centers set up privately by soldiers at the front lines, widespread wartime sexual violence, mass rapes during the occupation of cities, and sexual violence intertwined with forced labor in occupied territories. In the colonies, structural and direct gender violence was already being perpetrated before World War II, and sexual violence did not suddenly begin during the war. Even today, the military stationed in places like Okinawa under the guise of Japanese security continues to perpetrate sexual violence. We must change the situation where various forms of sexual violence are interconnected and entrenched in the social system.

Since the 1990s, there have been ten lawsuits in Japan where victims of Japanese military sexual slavery and wartime sexual violence sought apologies and compensation, but all ended in defeats for the plaintiffs. In eight of these cases, the courts recognized the facts of the cases but dismissed the claims for apologies and compensation, leaving the plaintiffs to witness the injustice of Japan’s refusal to apologize despite acknowledging the facts before they passed away. It is anticipated that the plaintiffs in the current lawsuits in China will also face long and arduous battles, even if their lawsuits are accepted by the courts. The plaintiffs in Hunan Province, some of whom are as old as 102, and the families of victims in Shanxi Province, many of whom are now over 70, will undoubtedly face significant challenges.

The Japanese government must promptly apologize and offer compensation, without further burdening the victims and their families, and take measures to restore their honor. Additionally, the government should engage in education and awareness efforts to ensure that such mistakes are never repeated. We call on all who support justice to endorse this statement and demand redress for all those who suffered under the structures of Japanese colonial rule and during the war of aggression.

In late August, we received notification from the People’s Court in Hunan Province that they would not accept the lawsuit filed by eight victims of Japanese military sexual violence. The elderly victims are reportedly “deeply disheartened” by this decision. As for the lawsuit filed by the families in Shanxi Province, the court has yet to provide any response or notification.

In light of this notification of non-acceptance, we believe it is more urgent than ever for the Japanese government to voluntarily offer an apology and compensation. Therefore, we have decided to release multilingual versions of the statement and to extend the collection of signatures until October 10th as a second round. We kindly ask for your continued efforts to spread the word. (Updated on Sep. 1)

[1] “Prime Minister Kishida expresses ‘extreme regret’ and demands the removal of the comfort woman statue from the German Chancellor during their meeting in April” (Asahi Shimbun Digital)
https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASQ5C61VHQ5CUTFK01D.html

Organizing Groups:
Femi-Zemi & Cafe
Hainan Project
Action to Remember the 1923 Massacre of Koreans in the Kanto Region
East Asia Peace Action, General Incorporated Association

Endorsement Form:
If you agree with the above statement, please sign using this form. We will review the submissions and post the endorsements on the statement page accordingly.

Individual Endorsement
https://forms.gle/EFA4urDVL2FpCusu8

Organization Endorsement
https://forms.gle/Ewh8Spi8iXrihEXn8