Solidarity action

814 International Comfort Women Memorial Day Activities

On August 14, 1991, Kim Hak-soon, a South Korean "comfort woman" victim, came forward to expose the "comfort women" system to the world. This historical fact of the serious violation of women's human rights during World War II was made public to the world. In order to commemorate the courage of Jin Xueshun, the first "comfort woman" victim to publicly reveal her identity, at the 11th Asian Solidarity Conference held in Taipei in December 2012, "comfort women" support groups in various countries passed a resolution to hold the ceremony in August every year. The 14th was designated as the “Global ‘Comfort Women’ Memorial Day’ and they lobbied hard in the hope that 8/14 could become a commemorative day officially recognized by the United Nations.


In the past, protests mostly cooperated with South Korea's "Wednesday Movement" and were held on the Wednesday of the week of August 15th, the end of World War II. However, after the August 14th Memorial Day was established in 2012, many "comfort women" victim countries have organized groups on this day for many years. They stood up and held protests in front of Japanese embassies around the world, demanding an apology and compensation from the Japanese government.

Taiwan’s support activities over the years

Over the years, whether it is the anniversary of the end of World War II on August 15 or the International Comfort Women Memorial Day on August 14, the Women’s Aid Association has made our demands to the Japanese government through various forms of demonstrations, sit-ins, and commemorative parties every year: recognition. Crime, formal apology, disclosure of facts, compensation to grandma, rectification of name in textbooks, deep reflection on war responsibility and prevention of recurrence.

2004-Grandma protested in front of Japan Exchange Association for the first time


2005-"Grandma's Mood Mask Parade"

 

2006-2009 Comfort Women Memorial Protests

In 2006, "I will fulfill grandma's wish", in 2007, "Support from globalization, the voice of young people", and in 2008, "Hong Kong Yuan Comfort Festival". In every protest, there are hundreds of supporters who support and accompany the surviving grandmothers to take arduous steps, step by step, to the front of the Japan Exchange Association to express their voices in person.

   

2010-"Comfort Women" international synchronized movement "Taiwan • Memory Puzzle handed down from the colonial period" rally event

Choosing "memory" as the main theme of the event not only calls on the Japanese government to face up to the pain endured by the victims, but also hopes to preserve these memories to the next generation, so that lessons can be learned so that these sufferings will never happen to anyone again.

  

2011-"An apology will set her free" Taiwanese "comfort women" protest rally

As long as the Japanese government does not apologize to the "comfort women", the grandmothers will not be able to gain peace and freedom. With an average age of 90, how long can these grandmas wait?

  

2012-"The Eyes of Grandma "Comfort Women""

Because the grandmothers are old, the protesters took to the streets with empty wheelchairs and close-up photos of their grandmothers’ eyes to symbolize the grandmothers’ testimony of the crimes committed by the Japanese army, their anger against the Japanese government, and their persistence in pursuing justice.

  

2013- "Exposing the Japanese Government's Mask"

In the action drama, four actors played the roles of Japanese officials Taro Aso, Shinzo Abe, Shintaro Ishihara, and Toru Wahashita. They spoke about their inappropriate remarks on the "comfort women" issue in recent years, and then the actor who played Grandma Omomo tore them apart. Put down their masks of hypocrisy.

  

2014-"One person with one word, one person with one mind - I have something to say about the Japanese government"

Collaborating with Hong Kong artist Wen Jingying, we collected 814 people to draw or write what they wanted to say to the Japanese government and "comfort women" on the "One Person, One Heart" card, so that the Japanese government could listen to the real voices of the Taiwanese people.

  

2015-"Inheritance ・ Connection ・ Blooming Everywhere" 70th Anniversary of the End of World War II - 814 "International "Comfort Women" Day" Commemorative Party

The evening party used poetry recitation, music, drama, dance performances, etc. to commemorate and mourn the "comfort women" victims of World War II, continue to "pass on" this history, and "connect" the power across generations and all fields of society. Expressing concern for women who are still being tortured by violence in wars around the world allows this force of peace and anti-violence to "bloom everywhere."

  

2016-History cannot be erased. The Japanese government apologizes! 815 "Comfort Women" synchronized global protests

The three "comfort women" grandmothers in Taiwan who were still alive at the time were too old to come to the scene in person. Street art performers acted as statues of the "comfort women" grandmothers and sat quietly in front of the Japan Exchange Association to express their final expressions to the Japanese government. A deep and silent protest.

   

2017-"Human rights take over! The heartbeat will not stop, but the action will not stop" 

At the end of 2016, Taiwan's first "Grandma's House - Peace and Women's Human Rights Museum" with the theme of "Comfort Women" was established. Therefore, in 2017, "Grandma's House" was specially chosen to hold the 814 International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day event as a reminder. The Japanese government's "comfort women" issue will not be forgotten. The participation of representatives of Taiwanese high school students and several young volunteers demonstrated the will of Taiwan's younger generation to take over the "comfort women" human rights movement and continue to pursue justice.

  

2018-814 International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day Protest

59 people wearing black clothes and white masks gathered in front of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association to demand justice from the Japanese government on behalf of the 59 known "comfort women" victims in Taiwan. One by one, 59 people stepped forward and unveiled the boards with the names of the 59 Taiwanese "comfort women" victims, and then sat in silence for 8 minutes and 14 seconds to commemorate the 814 International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day, and at the same time expressed their deepest condolences to the Japanese government. And silent protest.

  

2019-814 International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day Action

Actors from the troupe performed an action drama in front of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association. A man playing the role of the Japanese government commanded five women playing Taiwan's "comfort women" in a condescending manner. When the actors turned over the faces of successive Japanese prime ministers on their hands, , five women shouted "Japanese government apologizes" to the man, and then fell down one by one, but the man turned away and said nothing, symbolizing that as time goes by, the grandmothers are gradually withering away, and the Japanese government's demand for an apology has always been Be indifferent and indifferent.

    

2020-814 International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day Action

On the day of the 2020 International Comfort Women Memorial Day, the Women's Aid Association held a press conference, demanding that the Japanese government apologize and compensate for the historical persecution of women as military sex slaves, and change the term "comfort women" in the curriculum to "comfort women - "Military Sex Slave", and played the "Comfort Women" video in collaboration with Zhiqi Qiqi, as well as acrylic works showing collective art creation with public participation.


2021-814 International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day Action

2021 Women's Rescue Foundation held a press conference on "The Pain Beyond Time and Space, the Unforgotten Truth" on August 14, the International "Comfort Women" Memorial Day. This is the first time that Grandma's family has held an 814 International "Comfort Women" commemoration event since they moved to the new venue. They demonstrated on-site how to use the "Comfort Women" mini-curation teaching tool box and put forward three major demands for the year:
1. The "comfort women"-military sexual slavery incident is a part of Taiwan's history and should be included in textbooks and books.
2. "Comfort women" is an issue of human rights and gender violence, and is actively promoted in national high schools and communities.
3. To face up to women’s human rights, the government should establish a national gender human rights center.