RINJ dot OrgThe RINJ Foundation Condemns Remarks of Japanese Politician

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THE RINJ FOUNDATION
MEDIA RELEASE - JUNE 16 2013

The RINJ Foundation has been campaigning to encourage the severe punishment as war crimes any act of sexual assault against women and children in war zones.

From The RINJ Foundation constitution:
"6. Assist and encourage a new United Nations effort to end the use of rape as a weapon of war.
7. As an NGO (Non-Government Organization) to assist the United Nations efforts of monitoring and investigation of reports of the rape of persons in regions of conflict or war and to assist agencies bring support to victims and (through accurate and impartial evidence gathering by volunteers and paid workers) bring justice to perpetrators."

Owing largely to recent remarks from a Japanese politician who aspires to national leadership status, The RINJ Foundation's attention has been drawn to Japan's wartime history.

Many thousands of Asian women and children kidnapped by Japanese in WWII became sex slaves for the Japanese military.

"Actually the atrocities committed were unspeakable but we are focused on the issue of rape in war zones and the brutality to non-combatant women and children," said The RINJ Foundation's Executive Director, Micheal O'Brien.
The RINJ Foundation Condemns Japanese Politician
The sex-slave victims of Japan in WWII, endured torturous hardships, human indignity and atrocities that killed them or ruined their future lives. There were no unscathed survivors among these children and women.

Diseases among the living survivors prevented future childbirth and scarred these women for life. Some may still be alive. Not many would have heard Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto say that what happened to them was justified.

Recently Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto prompted outrage at home and abroad by suggesting in May 2013 that battle-stressed soldiers during World War II needed the services of up to 200,000 sex slaves from Korea, China, the Philippines and elsewhere.

At least one Japanese official repudiated the remarks of Hashimoto who is the leader of the national Japan Restoration Party.

The RINJ Foundation condemns this conduct and seeks serious penalties from within the United Nations for any elected or appointed official responsible for public policy in any country who makes public statements that encourage the use of rape and child molestation as a weapon or tactic of war.

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