Spotlight: "Comfort women" a litmus test for Japan's sincerity to face history

The long-standing disputes between Japan and its two neighbors -- China and South Korea -- over the "comfort women" issue have largely hindered the development of Japan's ties with neighbors, and the issue has become a touchstone of how Japan is facing up to its wartime history.

South Korean historians have estimated that more than 200,000 women, mainly from the Korean Peninsula, China, the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries, were forced to serve as sex slaves for Imperial Japanese troops during World War II (WWII). Most of them were Koreans as the peninsula was under Japan's colonial rule at the time.

At an average age of nearly 90, today's surviving sex slaves are gradually passing away, making it more urgent for the Japanese government to offer them a sincere apology and appropriate compensation.

The refusal of Shinzo Abe's government to apologize reflects its persistent denial of Japan's atrocities in WWII and the government's unwillingness to acknowledge history.

As a trilateral meeting of leaders from China, Japan and South Korea is approaching, the Japanese government should reflect on its historical perception, face up to its wartime crimes and correctly handle the "comfort women" issue in order to mend ties with its major neighbors.

VICTIMS DIE, HORRORS WILL NOT

Very few former sex slaves are still alive today, only 47 in South Korea and about 20 in China, according to earlier media reports.

The survivors are gradually passing away, but their pains from the traumatic experiences will endure. Many of the traumatized survivors were afraid to share their tragic experiences with the public and lived with shame and disease for years before death.

Lee Ok-seon from South Korea, 88, is one of the brave former sex slaves who has shared her experiences. In the fall of 1942, then 15-year-old Lee was dragged into a truck by two male strangers and later sent to a "comfort station" for Japanese soldiers in Northeast China.

As she recalls, Lee was forced to provide sex services for about 50 Japanese soldiers a day in a tiny, windowless cell of less than 4 square meters. Besides sexual abuse, she was threatened, brutally beaten and cut by knives, with scars still visible on her arms and legs today.

Lee endured three years of suffering in the station until Japan surrendered. Longtime abuse has left cuts and bruises all over her body, as well as sexually transmitted diseases, which led to her continuous sufferings in later years. Sustained injection therapy has made her unable to conceive, and she even had to have her uterus removed.

After gaining freedom, the fate of Lee and other liberated sex slaves was uncertain; they did not know where to go. "How could I have the face to go home? My face reads I am a 'comfort woman.' I couldn't face my mother," Lee told Xinhua in an interview.

Lee now lives at the Home of Sharing, a rest home close to Seoul for former sex slaves. It was built in 1992 and funded by South Korean civic groups.

Kang II-chul, who also lives in the rest home, said her biggest wish is to receive Japan's apology and compensation. "If I can't succeed, my children and grandchildren will continue to demand justice," she said.

On Monday, a photo exhibition on the surviving sex slaves in China opened in Shanghai. The exhibition displays photos taken in 2014 by Wenhui Daily reporter Guo Yijiang, who traveled across the Chinese mainland to document the living conditions of 24 former sex slaves, four of whom have died since Guo photographed them.

"These senior women will leave us, but we can't forget that period of history," Guo said.

Chun Ka-lim, a professor at Ho Seo University, said: "As the 'comfort women' survivors become older, there is not much time left for them. It's very important for them to hear Japan's sincere apology in their remaining years."

JAPAN OWES APOLOGY, COMPENSATION

Numerous historical materials prove the suffering of sex slaves at the hands of the Japanese military more than 70 years ago, including a series of videos and documents released in August by China's State Archives Administration, serving as new evidence of the outrageous crimes.

In April 2014, a total of 89 documents, including 25 files related to the sex slaves, revealed that forcing women into sex slavery and setting up "comfort stations" were official actions of the invading Japanese army in Asian countries during WWII.

The files revealed conditions at "comfort stations," including details of gruesome rapes and the striking ratios between Japanese soldiers and "comfort women" -- at one time, one sex slave for 200 soldiers -- in a district of Nanjing, or Nanking, China's capital city at the time.

Despite the irrefutable evidence, Japan under the leadership of Abe has neither offered an apology for the misery of the sex slaves, nor faced up squarely to its wartime history.

In his statement in August marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, the revisionist prime minister did not directly apologize for Japan's wartime past, only referring to previous governments' statements of remorse and apology.

He also failed to directly refer to the issue of sex slaves, merely saying: "We will engrave in our hearts the past, when the dignity and honor of many women were severely injured during wars in the 20th century."

In late September, South Korea and Japan held a ninth round of official talks to discuss the issue of "comfort women," but no specific agreement was reported, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said.

Some surviving sex slaves and people from relative parties have held rallies at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul almost every week, starting from January 1992, urging Japan to face up to history and solve the issue of wartime sex slaves.

South Korea has called on Japan to sincerely apologize and compensate for its wartime sexual brutalities, but Japan has claimed that all issues regarding sexual slavery have already been resolved with the 1965 treaty that normalized diplomatic ties between Seoul and Tokyo.

In the latest attempt by the Abe government to whitewash wartime history, three Japanese Cabinet ministers and 70 lawmakers paid homage to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine on its annual fall festival, while Abe -- although he didn't visit -- made a ritual offering. The shrine honors 14 convicted Class-A Japanese war criminals for WWII.

In response to the recent visit to the shrine, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying urged Japan to earnestly face up to and deeply reflect upon its history of aggression and win back the trust of its Asian neighbors and the international community with concrete actions.

TIME FOR JAPAN TO TAKE ACTION

China, Japan and South Korea are set to hold their first trilateral leaders' meeting after a three-year hiatus, ending a period of diplomatic deadlock due to heightened regional tensions and bringing a precious opportunity for the three countries to repair relations.

"We hope that all parties will properly handle sensitive issues, including the issue of history, in the spirit of facing history squarely and looking into the future," Hua said about the upcoming meeting at Monday's regular press meeting.

The meeting, at which Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is to attend, will present a platform for leaders of the three countries to discuss a variety of topics, including historical issues.

On the sidelines of the trilateral meeting, South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Abe will also hold a one-on-one summit, their first since Park took office in February 2013.

Park and Abe are expected to exchange in-depth views over pending issues between the two countries, including the "comfort women" problem, South Korean senior presidential secretary for foreign affairs Kim Kyou-hyun said.

Bae Kyoung-han, a history professor at South Korea's Silla University, said he hoped the trilateral leaders' meeting could become an important opportunity to solve the "comfort women" problem.

"Japan should change its previous attitude on the 'comfort women' issue and take its stand to apologize," said Bae, who also suggested the academic communities of the three countries make joint efforts to discuss and explore a solution if Japan doesn't present one at the meeting.

Whether or not Japan will make use of the opportunity to properly deal with the sensitive "comfort women" issue, among other disputes, will be crucial to the well-being of trilateral relations, experts have said.

As China and other countries make efforts to respect and honor history, Japan should not run in the opposite direction. It's time for the country to learn from its neighbors and regain their respect. Endi