Forum: Survivors of Japan’s historical crimes still have a voice today
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I write to commend the three authors of “ Still waiting for closure
They have respectfully and thoughtfully described the pain and challenges that hundreds of thousands of individuals suffered throughout Japan’s former Asia-Pacific empire as well as the decades of trauma following 1945 that they endured.
Many did not survive.
It is vital to add to their excellent commentary the research and ongoing work of Japanese citizens who continue to question their government’s responsibility for history to bring justice and reconciliation to this issue.
Important are groups such as the Tokyo-based Women’s Active Museum on War and Peace, and individuals such as the renowned international human rights lawyer Professor Etsuro Totsuka, who coined the legal term “sexual slavery” to depict the horrific conditions victims endured (including here in Singapore).
Understandably, many survivors from the Asia-Pacific region (including Japanese victims) are uncomfortable with the term “sexual slavery” – preferring “halmoni” in South Korea, for example, and “ama” in Taiwan – yet the term has been used since 1996 by the United Nations to describe this terrible practice as a “crime against humanity”.
Moreover, it describes the crime today that several state actors perpetuate against women and minor children during wartime.
The survivors of Japan’s historical crimes are today’s champions giving voice to people ensnared now throughout the world.
Alexis Dudden (Professor)
National University of Singapore (Department of Japanese Studies) and University of Connecticut (Department of History)
