Newsgroups: bit.listserv.seasia-l
Date:         Thu, 30 Jul 1992 17:41:25 PDT
From:         "Indonesia Publications/Task Force" <apakabar@IGC.APC.ORG>
Subject:      PH: 'Comfort Women' Here, Too
X-To:         seasia-l@msu.edu

/* Written 10:26 am  Jul 30, 1992 by gn:geonet in cdp:geo2.philippin */
/* ---------- "COMFORT WOMEN IN RP TOO" ---------- */
Subject: COMFORT WOMEN IN RP TOO
From: GEO2:NEWSSERV-PHIL
Date: 30-07-92, 08:23:15
To: PHILIPPINES
Cc: UUCP:JAGDISH@CHASQUE.APC.ORG

Philippine News and Features
International Dispatch No. 14
July 29, 1992
----------------------------------------
<<COMFORT WOMEN IN PHILIPPINES TOO
TOKYO (PNF)  -- The respected Japanese daily Asahi Shimbun
alleged recently that Filipinas were among the "comfort women"
who served the Japanese imperial forces during World War II.
In its July 15 issue, the daily said there were "comfort
stations" in  Manila, and the central Philippine cities of
Tacloban and Iloilo. The paper included a sketch of two areas
in Iloilo, in central Philippines, where a "comfort house" was
established beside a hotel.
Comfort women or jugun ianfu (Japanese for military
comfort women) were recruited during the war to satisfy sexual
urges of soldiers ostensibly to prevent them from raping women.
Testimonies of former comfort women from South Korea show
they were forced to serve 20 to 30 soldiers a day on weekdays
and 40 to 50 soldiers on weekends.
A Japanese foreign ministry official told Philippine News
and Features that "comfort women" may have been used also in
Ormoc, Masbate, Cebu, Sta. Cruz in Laguna and Cagayan de Oro.
The official, who asked not to be identified, said
Japanese military forces were concentrated on those areas,
making the existence of comfort women very probable.
A Japanese government review of 127 war documents from the
Defense Agency and the Foreign Ministry confirmed the
involvement of the Japanese imperial government in putting up
comfort stations in several countries in Asia and Japan.
The foreign ministry source said the names of 20 Filipinas
were listed in the documents. These were crossed out "to
protect their privacy." He said the list contained "very
typical" Filipina nicknames.
The newspaper article also said that in an August 1943
report from Tacloban in Leyte island, the names of nine
Filipino comfort women were recorded by the Japanese army.
In a July 6 press conference, chief cabinet secretary
Koichi Kato disclosed that comfort women were recruited from
the Korean peninsula, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia
and also Japan.
Kato said the government was involved in the establishment
of brothels, the control of those engaged in the women's
recruitment, the construction and support of facilities as well
as the issuance of identification documents for personnel
involved in the comfort stations.
Kato expressed the "sincere apology and remorse of the
Japanese government" to all those who underwent the ordeal.  He
ruled out financial compensations to individuals.
The government investigation was in response to the demand
by the South Korean government for an official inquiry into
reports that between 100,000 and 200,000 Korean women were
recruited as comfort women.
The issue gained public attention after three South Korean
women sued the Japanese government for making them serve as sex
slaves. Six other Koreans filed suit last April. They asked for
20 million yen in damages.
Although the Philippine government has officially been
informed of the findings, it has not made any demands on behalf
of the Filipinas involved.#
(Lyn Resurreccion) Philippine News and Features
----------------------------------------
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