Twenty-three Japanese NGOs made a joint appeal on Aug. 19 at a Tokyo press meeting, asking a Geneva-based human rights sub-commission to support the mandatory paper of its special rapporteur Gay J. McDougall. In her working paper which was submitted on Aug.12 to the 50th session of the Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, under the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, Ms. McDougall urged Japan to criminally punish those responsible for recruiting war-time sexual slaves and pay compensation to the victims.

United Nations

ECOSOC

Commission on Human Rights

Chairperson, Mr. EI-hadji Guisse

Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities

Fiftieth Session

1998. Aug. 19th

His Excellency

We find the report on Wartime Slavery (E/CN.4/Sub.2/1998/13) by the Special Rapporteur Ms. Gay J. McDougall most valuable and would like to express our strong support. Especially we welcome her thorough research and specific recommendations of concrete measures on how to resolve the issue of the military sex slavery system in wartime by Japan, which has been reviewed and discussed at UN Commission on Human Rights and ILO Expert Committee for some time.

With regard to the subject matter, the Special Rapporteur Ms. Coomaraswamy presented the Reports and the Recommendations twice, which were supported by the resolution of the Commission on Human Rights while ILO expert committee (1996-1997) issued observations recommending necessary measures for remedy. Yet the Japanese Government adamantly refused to admit their legal responsibilities. The Government insists that Asian Women's Fund it helped to establish is providing satisfactory remedial measures to victims while ignoring the wishes and desires of victim survivors. As pointed out in the Report, many of the victims consider the attitude of the Japanese government lacking sincerity and they are angry at both the Government and Asian Women's Fund.

In April this year, even a Japanese local court admitted that the system was based on the complete discrimination against women as well as ethnic minorities and it constitutes violation of fundamental human rights which should be overcome in today's Japan. The judge further declared that the Japanese Government should pay consolation money as a penalty for doing nothing to resolve the matter in spite of the fact that the Government itself acknowledge the facts since 1993. The judge closed his sentence by urging the Japanese Government and the Diet to start the legislative proceedings immediately.

Intentional delay on the side of the Japanese Government has forced the victims and survivors to suffer the prolonged pains and humiliation, which seems to be causing even serious violation of human rights today.

We earnestly hope that the subcommission would welcome and support her recommendations by passing a resolution so that the international panel can be set up for the pursuit of criminal responsibility as well as realization of state compensation to the individual survivors and so that a meaningful official apology with impact can be offered to the aging survivors who have suffered so long.

Coalition for Legislative Solutions on the "Comfort Women" Issue

(Chairperson: Atty. Tsuchiya Koken)

International Campaign for Redress '98

(Co-chairperson: Oshima Koichi, Kawata Fumiko)

Center for Research and Documentation on Japan's War Responsibility

(Representative: Pr. Arai Shinichi)

Japanese Committee for the Former Filipino Comfort Women

Support Group of Son Shinto Case

Japan Association for the Study of Chinese Forced Labour

(Representative: Pr. Tanaka Hiroshi)

Japan Federation of Publishing Workers Unions, Textbook Problem Examination

(Representative: Kimura Koichi)

"Military Sexual Slaves" Problem Committee of Church of Christ in Japan

(Chairperson: Rev. Watanabe Seiko)

Support Group for Kan-Pu Law Suit on Post War Accountability

(Chairperson: Matuoka Sumiko)

Women and Human Rights-Association of the Citizens of Kunitachi

(Representative: Tsuburaya Kyoko)

Solidarity Association with the "Malaya Lolas" against Sexual Violence of Japanese Military

(Chairperson: Kasahara Yoko)

Promoting Compensation for Gunpyo in Hong Kong Association

(Representative: Okubo Seishi)

Association for Redress of the Victims of Sexual Violence by Japan in Sansei Prefecture, China

Japanese Association for Human Rights of Koreans in Japan

(Representative: Atty. Tokoi Shigeru)

Japanese History Watch (Representative: Pr. Maoda Akira)

The Fact-Finding Team on the Truth about Forced Korean Laborers in Japan

(Representative: Pr. Suzuki Jiro)

Women's Democratic Club (Chairperson: Akaishi Chieko)

The Group against the "Comfort Women" for the former Japanese Soldiers

(Representative: Tanimoto Ayako)

Support Association for the Court Struggle on the Chinese Comfort Women's Case

(Co-chairperson: Nishino Rumiko, Matsui Yayori)

Bell Flower Group (Representative: Shibasaki Haruko)

Nationwide Network of Supporters for Plaintiffs in Lawsuits Demanding Redress from Japanese Companies over Wartime Forced Labour

Coalition for Establishing of the Law to Establish an Investigation Committee on the Victims of Sexual Slavery by Japan

NGO Liaison Committee on Wartime Sexual Slavery & Forced labour by Japan

(*23 NGOs in Japan)

Contact Address: 4-5-16-301, Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Phone: +81-3-3237-0217

Fax: +81-3-3237-0287

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