Comfort women statue removed in Manila, Philippines Source: Xinhua 2018-04-28 20:03:09 A backhoe is seen at the area where a statue remarking the World War II comfort women used to be in Manila, the Philippines, April 28, 2018. A bronze statue in Manila symbolizing the World War II sex slaves abused by Japanese soldiers has been removed, less than five months after it was erected. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali) Editor: Li Xia</s>MANILA, Philippines — A statue honouring women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II was quietly removed from a busy seaside promenade in the Philippine capital, angering women’s groups.

Manila City Hall said in a statement that the bronze statue of a blindfolded Filipina, unveiled alongside Manila Bay in December, will be returned once drainage work is completed. It gave no time frame for the project, alarming activists who suspect that the Japanese government pressured the Philippines to take the monument down.

“What happened is that we kneeled down to the Japanese. … That’s why it’s shameful, so shameful,” said Teresita Ang See, co-founding president of a Chinese Filipino group.

Michael Charleston “Xiao” Chua, a professor at the De La Salle University Manila, called on the public to fight to get back the statue as a symbol of national dignity.

Japan’s Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Seiko Noda had expressed regret over the construction of the monument in January. According to Kyodo News service quoting the Japanese Embassy in Manila, the Philippine government had notified the embassy of its intention to remove the statue.

The emotional issue of “comfort women” has provided a dilemma for the Philippines’ relations with Tokyo, a major provider of aid and financing to Manila.

A National Historical Commission marker says the monument memorializes Filipinas who suffered abuses during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. It was built with donations from Chinese-Filipino groups and individuals.

Historians say 20,000 to 200,000 women from across Asia, many of them Koreans, were forced to provide sex to Japan’s front-line soldiers. Japanese nationalists contend that the so-called “comfort women” in wartime brothels were voluntary prostitutes, not sex slaves, and that Japan has been unfairly criticized for a practice they say is common in any country at war.

In 1995, Japan provided through a private fund 2 million yen ($18,000) each to about 280 women in the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea, and funded nursing homes and medical assistance for Indonesian and former Dutch sex slaves. However, many women in South Korea and the Philippines have demanded a full apology accompanied by official government compensation.

Last year, Osaka terminated its 60-year sister-city ties with San Francisco to protest a statue commemorating Asian sex slaves that was erected by California’s Korean, Chinese and Filipino communities.</s>A bronze statue in Manila symbolizing the World War II sex slaves abused by Japanese soldiers has been removed, less than five months after it was erected.

The statue was removed around 8 p.m. local time Friday night. Activists sympathetic to the plight of the former sex slaves gathered at the site Saturday morning and they are expected to issue a statement later Saturday.

The seven-feet bronze sculpture, which depicts a blindfold, grieving woman in Maria Clara traditional Filipiniana gown, was unveiled on Dec. 8 last year along Roxas Boulevard in Manila City.

"This monument is a reminder of the Filipino women who were victims of abuses during the occupation of the Japanese forces from 1942-1945. It took a while before they came out into the open to tell their stories," read the inscription on the monument.

The erection of the statue angered Japan. The Japanese government had protested and demanded that it be taken down.

An alliance of Filipino women GABRIELA and Lila Pilipina (League of Filipino Women) had urged the Philippine government to ignore Japan's demand.

GABRIELA is at the forefront of the Filipino women's struggle for freedom and democracy while Lila Pilipina is an organization of wartime sex slaves.

Both groups have demanded justice on behalf of the ageing "comfort women" in the Philippines - an official apology from the Japanese government, just compensation, and inclusion of the "comfort women" issue in Japan's historical accounts and textbooks.

Knocking down the statue would be a setback in the victims' long struggle for justice, the groups said.

The unveiling took place 76 years after the Japanese invasion of the Philippines that started on Dec. 8, 1941, 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The Japanese occupation of the Philippines occurred between 1942 and 1945.

It's estimated that up to 200,000 women in their teens from around Asia, including South Korea, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, were forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels during that period.

To keep alive the memories of the "comfort women," similar memorial statues in South Korea, China and the United States' San Francisco have been built.</s>Photos show a backhoe digging at the site of the statue

MANILA, Philippines – The controversial statue of a comfort woman along Roxas Boulevard in Manila was removed recently from its site.

Photos on Saturday, April 28, showed a backhoe digging at the site of the statue.

According to an ABS-CBN News report, the statue was removed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to give way to a drainage improvement project in the area.

The report quoted Manila City administrator Ericson Alcovendaz as saying the DPWH itself conducted the statue's removal on Friday night, with city officials supervising the operation.

Two other structures along Roxas Boulevard will also be removed, he said.

A separate dZMM report described the removal of the comfort woman statue as "pansamantala (temporary)".

Japan had complained about the presence of the statue, which was inaugurated in December 2017.

The comfort woman statue, which bore the official marker of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, was "erected without permits," said lawyer Edward Serapio, secretary to Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, in an earlier interview.

The issue of World War II comfort women remains a sensitive one for Japan.

Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano argued in January 2018 that the country's "long-term" relationship with Japan is at stake due to the controversy.

But President Rodrigo Duterte had said that he will not stop the display of the statue because it is part of free expression. – Rappler.com</s>A statue honoring women forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II was removed from a waterfront promenade in the capital, Manila, sparking outrage from rights groups.

The bronze statue of a blindfolded Filipina was removed Friday night. The memorial, stood alongside Manila Bay, was unveiled in December.

Manila City Hall issued a statement saying the statue would be returned once drainage work was completed. But officials gave no time frame for the monument's return, sparking alarm among activists who fear the Japanese government pressured the Philippines to remove the memorial.

"What happened is that we kneeled down to the Japanese... That's why it's shameful, so shameful," said Teresita Ang See, who is a co-founding president of a Chinese-Filipino group.

Seiko Noda, Japan's minister for internal affairs and communication, expressed regret over the monument back in January. Japan's Kyodo News agency reported that the Japanese Embassy in Manila confirmed that the Philippine government had notified the embassy of its plans to remove the statue.

The emotional issue of "comfort women" has clouded the Philippines' relations with Japan, which now provides Manila with considerable amounts of aid and financial support.

Still, Michael Charleston "Xiao" Chua, a professor at De La Salle University in Manila, implored the public to fight for the statue's return, which he called a symbol of national dignity.

Read more: "Comfort women" becomes Olympics issue for Japan

Duterte wants to be nice

The monument memorializes the plight of Filipinas who were sexually abused during Japan's occupation of the Philippines from 1942 to 1945. It was erected with private donations from Chinese-Filipino groups as well as individuals.

Historians say as many as 200,000 women from across Asia were forced to provide sex to Japanese combat soldiers during the war. Many of the victims were Koreans.

Japanese nationalists insist that the so-called "comfort women" were not sex slaves because they chose to serve as prostitutes. They claim Japan is being unfairly criticized for a practice they say is common in countries at war. Historians say Japan is living in denial about its past.

Through a private fund in 1995 Japan paid 2 million yen ($18,000) each to about 280 women in the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. But many victims want the Japanese government to issue a full apology and provide official government compensation.

Last year Osaka ended a 60-year sister-city relationship with San Francisco after Korean, Filipino and Chinese communities in California succeeded in getting a memorial to "comfort women" built in the US city.

Asked about the statue's removal on Sunday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte claimed he knew little about it but urged Filipinos not to "insult" Japan.

He said: "It is not the policy of (the) government to antagonize other nations."

Read more: Merkel urges Japan to confront its past</s>MANILA, Philippines -- A statue honouring women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during the Second World War has been quietly removed from a busy seaside promenade in the Philippine capital, angering women's groups.

Manila City Hall says the bronze statue of a blindfolded Filipina, unveiled alongside Manila Bay in December, will be returned once drainage work is completed. It gave no time frame for the project, alarming activists who suspect that the Japanese government pressured the Philippines to take the monument down.

Japan's Cabinet minister expressed regret over the construction of the monument in January. According to Kyodo News service quoting the Japanese Embassy in Manila, the Philippine government had notified the embassy of its intention to remove the statue.</s>A memorial dedicated to Filipino "comfort women" forced to work in Japanese brothels during World War II was removed Friday night, days after suspicions surfaced about its possible demolition.

The bronze statue of a blindfolded, early 1900's-era Filipino woman was removed from Roxas Boulevard in Manila, workers leaving behind only debris fenced in by makeshift barriers.

Around two weeks ago, a Department of Public Works and Highways backhoe was seen parked beside the memorial, sparking speculation that it was to be demolished.

Local women's rights organization Gabriela and cultural group Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran (Unity for Progress) last Wednesday expressed their opposition to removing it, with both groups vowing to write to the government about the matter.

The term comfort women is a euphemism used to refer to women forced to work in brothels catering to Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Government workers interviewed by Kyodo News in the area Saturday morning said the memorial was removed so that pipes could be laid underground.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Manila, the Philippine government had notified the embassy of its intention to remove the statue that was erected in December. The embassy had expressed concerns over the statue.

In January, Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Seiko Noda visited Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to express displeasure over the memorial.

Since then, the Philippine government has been sending mixed messages on whether or not it supports advocacy efforts on behalf of former comfort women.

Duterte said in January that he cannot curtail the freedom of expression demonstrated by the groups who pushed for the statue to be erected. But his Foreign Affairs Secretary, Alan Cayetano, said the Philippines cannot strengthen its relationship with Japan if it keeps inflaming a matter that is considered "settled."</s>MANILA, Philippines—A statue honouring women who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during the Second World War has been quietly removed from a busy seaside promenade in the Philippine capital, angering women’s groups.

Manila City Hall said in a statement that the bronze statue of a blindfolded Filipina, unveiled alongside Manila Bay in December, will be returned once drainage work is completed. It gave no time frame for the project, alarming activists who suspect that the Japanese government pressured the Philippines to take the monument down.

“What happened is that we kneeled down to the Japanese ... That’s why it’s shameful, so shameful,” said Teresita Ang See, co-founding president of a Chinese Filipino group.

Michael Charleston “Xiao” Chua, a professor at De La Salle University in Manila, called on the public to fight to get back the statue as a symbol of national dignity.</s>The statue, which depicts a grieving woman in a traditional Filipiniana gown, is a symbol of Filipino sex slaves abused by Japanese soldiers leading up to and during World War II.

"This monument is a reminder of the Filipino women who were victims of abuses during the occupation of the Japanese forces from 1942-1945. It took a while before they came out into the open to tell their stories," the inscription on the monument read.

The Japanese government repeatedly demanded that the statue be demolished and, following increased anger from Tokyo, were informed by Manila that it would be removed.

Local women's rights organization cultural group Kaisa Para sa Kaunlaran (Unity for Progress) have voiced their opposition to the removal of the statue, urging Manila to reconsider the decision.

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941, some 200,000 women from South Korea, China, Indonesia and the Philippines were forced to work in Japanese brothels, servicing male wartime military personnel.

Similar memorial statues of comfort women have been erected in South Korea, China and in San Francisco, California, in the US.</s>MANILA: Advocacy groups voiced outrage on Sunday (Apr 29) after a memorial to women forced to work as sex slaves to Japanese soldiers during World War II was taken down in Manila.

City authorities said the bronze sculpture of a blindfolded woman, which was on a bayside promenade in the Philippine capital, was removed on Friday to make way for a drainage and footbridge project.

However, advocacy groups for the memory of so-called "comfort women" wondered whether the Philippine government had yielded to Japanese displeasure over the memorial.

While Japan occupied the Philippines during the war, it is now one of the Philippines' top investors, trading partners and aid donors.

After the statue was installed in January, some 2km from the Japanese embassy, Tokyo said the move was "very unfortunate".

"The Japanese government is working hard ... they also wanted to get rid of a similar statue in New Jersey," said Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina, an organisation of comfort women survivors and advocates.

"This is a desecration of Filipino women's dignity as it casts a foul insult on hundreds of Filipina sex slaves victimised under the Japanese occupation," women's group Gabriela said.

Manila's public works department could not be reached for comment and the Japanese embassy in the Philippines did not immediately respond to an email.

Historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including the Philippines and China, were forced to work in wartime military brothels for Japanese invasion troops.

The number of Philippine women involved is believed to number in the hundreds.

Activists have in recent years set up dozens of statues in public venues around the world, many of them in South Korea, in honour of the victims.

The statues have drawn the ire of Tokyo, which has apologised to Seoul over the issue and has since pressed for the removal of one of the statues outside its embassy there.

Philippine officials had approved the statue in Manila, which was funded by a Filipino-Chinese philanthropist to highlight the suffering of comfort women.

Asked about the statue's removal, President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday conceded he knew little about it but urged Filipinos not to "insult" Japan.

"It is not the policy of (the) government to antagonise other nations," he said.
A statue honouring comfort women, sex slaves raped by Japanese World War II soldiers, in Manila, Philippines, is removed less than five months after it was installed.