原标题：Justice, truth and reparations long overdue for survivors of so-called ‘comfort women’ system: UN experts
GENEVA – UN experts* today expressed grave concern at the continued lack of justice for survivors of the so-called ‘comfort women’ system established and controlled by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.
“Nearly 80 years on, victims and their families continue to face the denial of their right to truth, justice, reparation and memorialisation,” the experts said.
Up to 200,000 women and girls were reportedly subjected to trafficking, rape and sexual slavery, as well as to arbitrary deprivation of liberty and, in certain cases, to enforced disappearance, in the ‘comfort women’ system, the experts noted. Most survivors from the Republic of Korea, China, the Netherlands, Timor-Leste, Indonesia and the Philippines, among others, have passed away and those who remain are of advanced age.
“Previous efforts to address this issue, such as the 2015 bilateral agreement between Japan and the Republic of Korea, have failed to deliver survivor-centered justice,” they said.
“States have an obligation to ensure access to justice and reparations for victims, and diplomatic agreements should not substitute or preclude individual pursuits of accountability.”
The experts further underscored that States from which the victims and survivors originate likewise bear clear obligations to facilitate their access to justice and redress.
“While we welcome the responses received from several States to our communications on this matter, we reiterate that survivors require proactive and sustained support,” they said. “This includes providing legal aid and other forms of practical assistance, preserving and, where appropriate, declassifying relevant records and engaging in diplomatic efforts aimed at advancing accountability.”
The experts noted that several survivors and their family members have brought lawsuits in their national courts and in Japan. “Such efforts should be encouraged and supported as legitimate means to secure recognition and reparation for grave human rights violations,” they said.
“Sovereign immunity should not serve as grounds to waive accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity.“
The experts called on Japan to recognise and fulfil survivors’ rights to justice, reparations and full and effective remedy, including through official apologies, adequate compensation and guarantees of non-repetition. They stressed the importance of preserving historical memory through educational materials, memorials and commemoration.
“The denial of atrocities by high-level officials and the harassment of victims, survivor-led organisations, academics and journalists, seriously undermine efforts towards accountability and redress,” they added.
“Victims and survivors have waited decades for recognition, apologies and remedy,” the experts said.
“We urge all relevant States to act without further delay.”
The experts have been in contact with the Governments of Japan, Republic of Korea, China, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Netherlands, and the Philippines on these matters.
*The experts:
Claudia Flores (Chair), Ivana Krstić (Vice-Chair), Dorothy Estrada Tanck, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi, Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
Gabriella Citroni (Chair-Rapporteur), Grażyna Baranowska (Vice-Chair), Aua Baldé, Ana Lorena Delgadillo Pérez and Mohamed Al Obaidi, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances
Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Siobhán Mullally, Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children
Bernard Duhaime, Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence
Mama Fatima Singhateh, Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children
Tomoya Obokata, Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organisation, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR.
Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/
UN Human Rights, country pages: China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, the Netherlands, the Philippines
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