Obama: Sex slaves must be recognized
Print Edition
THE Japanese wartime system of sex slavery was a “terrible” violation of human rights and its victims need to be heard, United States President Barack Obama said yesterday in Seoul.
Stepping into one of the most contentious issues in Northeast Asia, Obama said there needs to be an accounting of the wrongs perpetrated by Japanese troops before and during World War II, when thousands of women were forced into sex slavery.
“This was a terrible, egregious violation of human rights. Those women were violated in ways that even in the midst of war were shocking,” he said.
“And they deserve to be heard, they deserve to be respected. And there should be an accurate and clear account of what happened.
“I think (Japanese) Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe recognizes this and certainly the Japanese people recognize that the past is something that has to be recognized honestly and fairly.”
Despite formal apologies issued by the Japanese government, South Korea and other nations accuse Tokyo of failing sufficiently to atone for the “comfort women” pressed to service its troops during its brutal war of expansion.
While many Japanese accept the country’s guilt, some senior politicians on the right — including Abe — have suggested that the issue is overblown, putting huge pressure on ties between Tokyo and Seoul. Obama, who arrived in South Korea yesterday after a three-day state visit to Japan, said the two nations must find a way to move on.
“It is in the interests of both Japan and the Korean people to look forward as well as backward and to find ways in which the heartache and the pain of the past can be resolved,” he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
