台湾人最後の元慰安婦死去　９２歳

【台北ＡＦＰ＝時事】台湾外交部（外務省）は２３日、日本統治時代の元慰安婦のうち台湾当局が認定する最後の生存者だった女性が死去したと発表した。元慰安婦の支援組織「婦女救援基金会」によると、亡くなったのは１０日で、９２歳だった。（写真は台湾・台北で行われた、日本政府に台湾人慰安婦への謝罪を求める抗議集会〈資料写真〉）
　外交部の劉永健報道官は「慰安婦問題は人類史上の傷であり、政府は台湾人元慰安婦の尊厳と福祉を最重要視してきた」「日本政府には今後も懸念を表明し続け、元慰安婦とその家族への謝罪と補償を求めていく」と述べた。
　台北を拠点とする婦女救援基金会は、生存者がいなくなっても、日本への補償を今後も求めていくと表明。「おばあちゃんたちは全員亡くなってしまったが、魂はいつまでも私たちの心の中に残り続ける」「この歴史の一こまは死によって消えることはない」とし、台湾人慰安婦の歴史を教科書に掲載するよう訴え続けるとしている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/05/24-17:31）

Taiwan's last known survivor of Japan's wartime sexual slavery has died at the age of 92, the island's foreign ministry said Tuesday, calling the issue a wound in human history.
Referred to as comfort women, more than 200,000 women were sexually enslaved by Japan's military during World War II, mostly from South Korea but also from other parts of Asia.
In Taiwan, which Japan ruled from 1895-1945, nearly 60 women had come forward over the years as survivors, according to Taipei's Women's Rescue Foundation. However, it estimates there were at least 2,000.
The foundation said on Monday the island's last known survivor, referred to as grandma, died on May 10 at the age of 92.
The 'comfort woman' issue is a wound in human history and the government has attached great importance to the dignity and welfare of former Taiwanese (survivors), Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Jeff Liu said Tuesday.
(The government) has continued to express concerns to the Japanese government... and urge the Japanese side to face our demand to apologise and compensate Taiwanese 'comfort women' and their families, he said.
Japan's wartime enslavement of women is a politically charged issue across Asia.
While the government has acknowledged Japan's past atrocities, critics say officials throughout the decades have refused to take full responsibility for the enslavement of women.
The Japanese government has said the victims were recruited by civilians to military brothels that were commercially operated.
The issue has sparked protests in Taiwan, with women's groups lobbying for compensation for its survivors -- something only South Korea has formally received.
Taipei's Women Rescue Foundation said, even with the death of the last grandma, they would continue to demand that Japan compensate victims.
Although all the grandmas have passed away, we believe that their spirit will remain in our hearts forever, the group said, vowing to advocate for the history of Taiwanese survivors to be included in school books.
This piece of history will not disappear due to the death of the grandmas.