Comfort Women Project - Asia Trip 2008

This project, supported by THE ASIAN CULTURAL COUNCIL and THE LOWER MANHATTAN CULTURAL COUNCIL, honors the memory of 200,000 young women known as "Comfort Women" who were systematically exploited as sex slaves in asia during WWII, and increases awareness of sexual violence against women during wartime. The event was organized on an industrial scale, not seen before in modern history, and is the largest instance of human trafficking in the 20th century, yet it has gone largely unacknowledged.

Saturday

9. Wednesday Demonstration

Wednesday July 16, 2008

"Wednesday Demonstration" with visiting "Taipei Women's Rescue Foundation"(TWRF)

The "Wednesday Demonstration" in front of the Japanese Embassy. Every Wednesday people have gathered since 1992 to protest for justice for these women. Despite the rain many people showed up including 7 Korean "comfort women" *halmunis and 2 Taiwanese "comfort women" *ahmas. There are currently 99 Korean survivors yet living. Most in their 80s and 90s and in ill health. These 7 halmuni are the most healthy and active. It was a very lively atmosphere.

* "halmunis" in Korean, or "ahmas" in Taiwanese means "grandmas". (In Asia, elders are commonly referred to as grandmother or grandfather, whether you are related to them or not, as a way of showing respect.)