The Presidential Office held a special screening on Sunday of a documentary about Taiwanese women who were forced by the Japanese to become sex slaves in World War II. President Ma Ying-jeou invited Premier Mao Chi-kuo, Legislature President Wang Jin-pyng and a group of young people to watch the movie.
The documentary, Song of the Reed, was released on Friday in line with International Memorial Day for Comfort Women. “Comfort women” is a euphemism for the victims.
The documentary was produced by the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation, which has provided the women with therapy and helped them to seek an apology and compensation from Japan. The movie shows how six of the now-elderly women have dealt with the trauma of being forced to be sex slaves for the Japanese.
The foundation says that more than 2,000 Taiwanese women were forced to become comfort women for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II. Only four of the women who have spoken openly about their suffering are still alive, and they are now in their 90s.
After the special screening on Sunday, President Ma said that if anyone is still questioning whether the women were forced into sexual slavery, then it’s a sign that they are not living in a civilized country. He said that the plight of the “comfort women” is not a political issue. Rather, he said, it’s a historical reality, a humanitarian issue, and a question of human rights.