Taiwan’s youth voice out for the rights of comfort women

On the 14th of August, a group of young Taiwanese people wearing black clothes and white facemasks attended Comfort Women Remembrance Day to represent fifty-nine elderly comfort women who were unable to be present. For close to thirty years, Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation and many comfort women have been fighting for justice and gather each year to reaffirm their unchanging position and demands: these include a formal apology to the victims; reflection over war responsibility; and the assurance that such a thing will never happen again. Representatives for the comfort women presented the protest letter to Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.

In addition to the backing of civic organizations, people from all domains of society hope the government will stand up and provide a pillar of support for comfort women, a sentiment reflected in youth representatives, who are trying to raise awareness and encourage young people to voice out on the issue. The participation of young people has important significance in passing on the human rights flame to the next generation and ensures that the determination to pursue historical justice will continue. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, Taiwan’s elderly comfort women will receive a formal apology.

以下為中文對照

身上穿著黑衣服，臉上戴著白面具，代表著五十九位無法到場的慰安婦阿嬤。每年八月十四日為慰安婦紀念日，婦女救援基金會與阿嬤們一同走過了將近三十個年頭，每年依舊重申多年來不變的立場與訴求：包括對受害者的正式道歉、對受害者的賠償以及對戰爭責任的反省與再犯的防止；並且由代表將抗議信遞交給日本交流協會。

除了民間團體的聲援，各界也希望政府能夠與阿嬤們站在一起，成為阿嬤們堅強的後盾；而青年代表也表示，希望能有更多人能知道這個議題，一起站出來為阿嬤們發聲。年輕人的參與代表了人權運動向下一代傳承的重要意義，而追求歷史正義的決心永遠不會停歇，希望能盡快，還給阿嬤們一個道歉。