MANILA: A group of Philippine “comfort women,” forced to work in Japanese military brothels in World War II, accused the Philippine government on Wednesday of not doing enough to help them secure an apology and compensation from Japan.
South Korea and Japan last month reached an agreement to resolve the issue as Tokyo made an apology and promised about one billion yen ($8.43 million) for a fund to help survivors, though many South Koreans were angry a deal had been made.
In a statement, the Philippine comfort women said they feared the South China Sea dispute with China had distracted Manila from seeking justice from Japan, which occupied the Philippines from 1942-45.
“Each day that they are ignored by their own government, any hope of official acknowledgment and reparations grows dimmer as the shadows of old age and mortality cast a dark pall on them,” lawyer Harry Roque said in a statement.
“The victims of horrendous human rights violations should not be used by our government as a leverage in its talk with Japan for support against China over the West Philippine Sea controversy.”
About 1,000 Philippine women were forced into prostitution by Japanese troops during World War II. The protesting comfort women belonged to a group called “Malaya Lolas,” or freed grandmothers.
There was no immediate comment from the foreign ministry or president’s office.
The Philippines and Japan are discussing the transfer of military equipment, like surveillance planes and patrol boats, to help strengthen the Philippines’ capability to guard its maritime borders as China rapidly expands in the South China Sea.
Beijing claims almost all the South China Sea, which is believed to have huge deposits of oil and gas, and through which about $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year, and has been building up facilities on the islands it controls.
Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines also have claims. Tension rose this week when China landed a civilian plane on one of three airstrips it had built on man-made islands in the Spratlys.
Japan has also made available about $2 billion for roads and railways to upgrade the Philippines’ dilapidated infrastructure and untangle traffic gridlock in the capital.
Philippine 'comfort women' press demand for justice from Japan
Philippine 'comfort women' press demand for justice from Japan
Egypt’s El-Sisi accepts invite to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’
- Kosovo has been a close ally with the US which supported its independence from Serbia in 2008
- Italy will not take part in Board of Peace initiative, daily Corriere della Sera reports
CAIRO: Egypt’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his “Board of Peace.”
Egypt “announces its acceptance of the invitation and its commitment to fulfilling the relevant legal and constitutional procedures,” the statement said, praising Trump for his Middle East policies.
“Egypt expresses its support for the Board of Peace’s mission for the second phase of the comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza,” it added.
Kosovo said on Wednesday it had accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join his “Board of Peace.”
“I am deeply honored by the President’s personal invitation to represent the Republic of Kosovo as a founding member of the Board of Peace, standing shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the pursuit of a safer world,” Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani wrote on X.
“America helped bring peace to Kosovo. Today, Kosovo stands firmly as America’s ally, ready to help carry that peace forward,” Osmani said.
Kosovo, a Balkan country of 1.6 million people, has been a close ally with the United States which supported its independence from Serbia in 2008.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said Wednesday that he has agreed to join the Board of Peace in a departure from an earlier stance when his office criticized the makeup of the board’s committee tasked with overseeing Gaza.
Italy won’t take part in US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative, daily Corriere della Sera reported on Wednesday, citing concern that joining such a group led by a single country’s leader would violate Italy’s constitution.
Trump’s plan has so far drawn cautious reactions from Western allies, as diplomats say it could undermine the work of the United Nations.
Norway and Sweden, meanwhile, said they would not be joining the board at this stage, following in the footsteps of France, which has expressed concern the board could seek to replace the United Nations as the mediator in global conflicts.
