by anon1984

Created on: April 02, 2008   Last Updated: March 19, 2011

I learned about comfort woman, we called as jugun ianfu, when I was in elementary school. My country, Indonesia, was colonized by Japanese from 1942 to 1945. Even though it happened in only 3.5 years, Japan's colonization was more harmful than Dutch colonization that happened for 350 years. As a witness of the era, my grandma and grandpa told us about the story. My grandma was luckily not chosen as a sex slave because she was a teacher. As a teacher she had to teach about Japan and every morning led the scholars to worship to the sun.

Japan colonized Asian countries with propaganda missions named: "3A Movement" or Japan the Leader of Asia, Japan the Protector of Asia and Japan the Light of Asia. By this movement Japan at the beginning was accepted as a hero in Asia. Then, Japan changed by doing slavery to men, named as Romusha, and women, named as Jugun Ianfu.

Jugun Ianfu was done to girls and women from age 13 years old. Most of them abducted from their house and sometimes they were mother and daughter. Also by persuading as workers and actresses in military camps, where later they were forced into prostitution. In brothels, the girls and women divided into 3 or 4 categories. The newest would be in the top category as sex slavery without any sexual diseases. And all of them had new Japanese names. When they got pregnant then they were forced to do abortions.

Last year on our independence day, one TV channel presented three victims from that era. It was really a pity to watch the story, how they were raped by many Japanese soldiers everyday. They were locked in a room where the soldiers came by turns daily. I still cannot imagine how worse the situation at the time was.

I still remember how the women had to face society after Japan walked out from Asian countries. Most of those women did not get married and were ostracized from their family. Then, they initiated to make their own community where they struggle to support their life. Their rights to live in peace and harmony had been carried away because of the tragedy. They had been raped physically and psychologically. Unfortunately, even thought how hard they were struggling. No apology from Japan's government and even they denied all those things happened. But, one thing that made those women feel happy, was that many of the Japanese made an apology individually.

However, those victims from Indonesia, China, Korea and other countries are waiting for the Japanese government to make an apology for all tragedy and have refused as these things never happened. Yes, these all are history, but we learn to be better from history.

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