President Ma Ying-jeou says the controversy over former “comfort women” is a humanitarian and human right issue. Ma was speaking Friday while meeting with Korean women’s rights activist Kim Jung Sook.
The president was referring to women forced into sex slavery by Japan during WWII, including about 1,200 Taiwanese. Only three former Taiwanese “comfort women” are still alive today after one elderly woman named Chen Tao passed away a few days ago.
The president said that Chen Tao’s death has saddened him, and that she died before receiving a formal apology from Japan. He also said that a documentary about comfort women entilted the “Song of the Reed” has a section featuring Chen.
“When Chen Tao returned to Taiwan at the age of 24, she was kicked out of her home by her uncle. He said: how could the Chen family have someone like you in it? She cried, saying, “Uncle, I did not choose to do it.” I think it would be unjust not to vindicate Chen Tao," said Ma.
Ma said he admires and is grateful to former South Korean comfort women who thrust Japanese atrocities into the spotlight after they came forward in 1991.