Voices of comfort women

Voices of comfort women

The true history of "comfort women" must be preserved forever.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) initiated a document preservation project called the "Memory of the World Register" in 1992. The main purpose is to save the world's gradually damaged and disappeared objects through international cooperation and advanced technology. Documentary records are used to prevent collective forgetfulness and deliberate destruction of memory and make human memory more complete. The Memory of the World Register is reviewed every two years, and each country can apply for ancient books and documents on two themes every two years.

In 2015, South Korea proposed the idea of ​​applying for the Memory of the World Heritage List using archives and documents related to the historical materials of the Japanese "comfort women" during World War II. It invited 14 citizen groups from 8 countries, including Taiwan, China, and Japan, to join and implement the project. Named "Voices of the "Comfort Women"". In May 2016, representatives of all groups jointly signed the petition in Seoul, and the application was submitted to the United Nations on behalf of Professor Heisoo Shin of Ewha Womans University in South Korea, who is also the Secretary-General of the project preparatory committee.

The "Voice of Comfort Women" project has submitted a total of 2,744 items related to the "comfort women" issue to UNESCO, including historical materials such as the "comfort women" system, survivors' experiences, and the compensation movement. It is the largest and most informative project in history. A complete application plan for the Memory of the World Heritage List. The Women's Aid Association, which represents Taiwan in participating in this project, selected 271 representative files and cultural relics from the 5,042 audio-visual and book materials and 730 related cultural relics collected for registration application. The historical materials section includes documents on the establishment of comfort stations by multinational corporations during the Japanese colonial period collected by the Taiwan Archives, and information on the establishment and delayed construction of comfort stations mentioned in newspapers during the Japanese colonial period collected by the National Taiwan University Library; the victim documents section includes The flight passes, photos and testimonies of the "comfort women" who returned from overseas, documents on the negotiation process between the "comfort women" and the Japanese government, and the artistic creations completed by the "comfort women" survivors in the physical and mental workshops organized by the Women's Aid Society The "Comfort Women" human rights campaign section includes Tokyo court litigation records and information on support and solidarity from all walks of life for the "Comfort Women" incident.

However, due to the continued strong pressure from the Japanese government through diplomatic and political channels, the Memory of the World Project International Advisory Committee recommended shelving the "Voice of the Comfort Women" project on the UNESCO World Heritage List on the grounds that "it may cause further political tensions." Therefore, On October 30, 2017, UNESCO announced a list of 78 items recommended for inclusion in the "Memory of the World Register" for 2016-2017. The "Voice of Comfort Women" project was not included. Although it is quite regrettable, citizen groups from various countries participating in the "Voice of Comfort Women" still do not give up and hold regular meetings to discuss countermeasures. They hope that with everyone's continued efforts, the history of human rights violations of "comfort women" can be preserved. The voices of "comfort women" victims who have the courage to speak out for themselves and fight for their human rights can be heard around the world, and women's human rights can receive more attention and protection.