The foreign ministry has reiterated calls for the Japanese government to formally apologize to former “comfort women” and pay them reparations.
On Thursday, foreign ministry official Chou Shyue-yow said that Japan and Taiwan have yet to reach any agreement on the issue of comfort women. Chou denied a recent statement by former President Lee Teng-hui saying that the issue has been resolved.
During WWII, the Japanese military abducted or coerced women from a number of countries to serve as sex slaves for enlisted men. Women from Taiwan, then a Japanese colony, were among the “comfort women” systematically abused by the Japanese military during the course of the war.
According to Chou, Taiwan has been demanding for a Japanese apology and compensation from the Japanese government since 1992. A 2008 resolution by Taiwan’s legislature renewed calls for an official apology and reparations. Chou said that all Japanese payments have come through the unofficial “Asian Women’s Fund” rather than through official channels as Taiwan has asked.
Chou said that Taiwan continues to call on Japan to face up to historical fact and take action on resolving the comfort women issue.