President Ma Ying-jeou says that the atrocities against women committed by Japan during World War II cannot be forgotten. He was speaking Tuesday in a meeting with visiting US Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Ma said the Japanese military forced women into sex slavery during the war. He said that the government is planning to establish a memorial so that this part of history will never be forgotten.
“About 20 years ago, I started helping former Taiwanese ‘comfort women’ seeking justice," said Ma.
"Unfortunately, the lawsuits they filed in Japan all failed. We’re planning to launch the first memorial to comfort women in August, and the museum will officially begin operations in December. We think that while war crimes can be forgiven, the truth cannot be forgotten.”
About 200,000 Chinese women and at least 1,200 Taiwanese women were forced into sex slavery, although exact numbers are hard to come by.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Taiwan’s defense ministry is set to hold an event to mark the occasion.