Solidarity Conference 2011

Asian Solidarity Conference for the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery by Japan

10th Conference August 14, 2011

The 10th Asian Solidarity Conference for the resolution of the Japanese Military Sexual Slavery during WW2 is held in Seoul from 12th to 14th of August 2011, under the title of “The Evaluation of the Past 20 Years of Asian Solidarity to Resolve the Issue of Military Sexual Slavery and the Way Forward”. Over 150 participants from all over the world included those from Timor Leste, the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, USA, Canada and Germany. North Korea participated via submission of documents. Especially, Noh Su-Bok from Thailand and Song Shin-do from Japan was able to visit her homeland and participate in the Solidarity Conference with the survivors in Korea.

We, at this 10th Asian Solidarity Conference, have shared reports of campaign activities in our respective countries, recognized our achievements in our global solidarity, and discussed how to further these successes in fact finding, legislation, international solidarity, supporting activity, remembrance, and education.


Today, as we recognize 66 years of wait and 20 years of struggle since KIM Hak Soon halmoni’s first testimony, we still face the reality where the problem is unsolved. Therefore we demand the followings to solve military sexual slavery.

Demand to the Government of Japan and the Japanese Parliament

1. The government of Japan must officially admit and apologise for its military’s role in the trafficking and sexual slavery of women in the Asia Pacific from 1930 to the end of World War II. To realise this, all relevant official documents should be fully disclosed to reveal the truth.

2. The Japanese Diet must pass the Special Bill on the so called “Comfort Women” issue as soon as possible, in order to realize official apology, recognition of government responsibility, and compensation through legislation.

3. The government of Japan must not allow any public statements that deny the issue of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery. Further, any such Statements must be promptly and officially condemned by the government of Japan.

4. The government of Japan must educate its present and future generations for the purpose of non-repetition through teaching of correct history in its textbooks of Japanese history.

Action Plan

1. We will actively pursue the Japanese parliament and the government of Japan in the hope that they will legislate to officially apologize and compensate under the pressure of the victimized survivors and the global community. To achieve this, we will
a. pursue activities that engage with Japanese parliament members and members of parliament in each of our respective countries.
b. strategize and implement activities geared towards each country’s local council and congress.

2. We will make “1000th Wednesday Demonstration for Resolving Japanese Military ‘Comfort Women’ Issue,” which will take place on December 14, 2001, a global campaign. To achieve this, we will
a. organize so that civil groups all over the world participate in the 1000th Wednesday demonstration in solidarity.
b. organize to announce solidarity messages of support from high profiled persons in politics and society for the 1000th Wednesday Demonstration and to report message demanding solution from the Japanese government.

3. We will strengthen the global movement and actively engage with global media in order to strongly lobby the government of Japan for the righteous resolution of the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue. To achieve this, we will
a. engage with the UN processes to continue to present the issue as an unresolved human rights issue that requires redress by the government of Japan.
b. request support from ITUC and the chairperson of ILO workers’ group so that the issue is adopted as an individual case and recommendation is given in 2012 International Labour Conference. In addition, we actively demand cooperation from other countries and their governments and employers’ group who recognize the gravity of Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue.
c. engage in solidarity movement with international human rights NGOs and other peace movement organizations.

4. We will continue to support aid activities for Asian victims and urge their governments and international civil society to establish support system for the victims.

5. We will make the next generation remember the history of Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue and educate them in order not to repeat this similar war crime. To achieve this, we will
a. act to restore the Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue in the Japanese history text books.
b. encourage Asian and other countries to record the truth about Japanese military ‘comfort women’ issue through intervention and supervision of their education system and to educate the next generation.
c. provide alternative textbooks and films on non-governmental level and encourage people to use them for history and human rights education.
d. support various activities such as opening a museum, building an archive, and erecting a monument for the victims and establish educational system and network with other countries’ movement on women’s human rights and peace issue.

6. We will show active interest and strengthen solidarity in the violation of women’s human rights currently occurring in wars and in armed conflicts.