AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

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AI Index: ASA 22/009/2007 (Public)

News Service No: 145

30 July 2007

Japan/US: US House of Representatives resolution an important step towards justice for ‘comfort women’

Amnesty International today commended the US House of Representatives for passing resolution 121, calling on the Government of Japan to finally accept responsibility for its Imperial Armed Forces' coercion of women into sexual slavery in World War II.

“The US House of Representatives resolution sends an unambiguous signal to the Japanese government that justice is long overdue to the victims forced into prostitution by the Japanese military during World War II,” said Dr. Purna Sen, Asia-Pacific Programme Director, Amnesty International.

“This resolution also sends a powerful message to the survivors, who have combated a lifetime of hardship and stigma, and who still bear the terrible scars from the sexual slavery – that their plight is not forgotten, and their demands for justice and redress remains relevant to a world where violence against women is still rampant.”

“Amnesty International calls on the Japanese government to take immediate steps to provide legal redress, a full apology and full reparations to survivors of sexual slavery including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation and guarantees of non-repetition,” said Dr. Purna Sen.

Background

Tens of thousands of women were forcibly abducted and deceived into sexual slavery into Japanese military controlled “comfort stations” organized in the different occupied countries before and during World War II. Amnesty International believes that the crimes perpetrated against these women amount to crimes against humanity. To this day, the Japanese government has refused adequately and unequivocally to acknowledge its responsibility for the crimes committed against former “comfort women”.

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