Protesters outside Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation in Taipei. Protesters outside Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation in Taipei. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – In response to a Japanese member of a comfort women denier group kicking a comfort women memorial statue in Tainan City on Sept. 6, dozens of Taiwanese protested outside the Japanese representative office in Taipei today, reported CNA.

Protestors called on the Japanese government to apologize and threw eggs at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation, amid light scuffles with police.

Tainan City Councilor Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) published footage on Sept. 9-10 showing Mitsuhiko Fujii (藤井実彦), a member of the so called "Alliance for Truth about Comfort Women" kicking a statue commemorating Taiwanese comfort women. Hsieh then announced that he would lead a protest to the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation in Taipei at 10.30 a.m. today.

The Tainan statue was erected on Aug. 14, to commemorate Taiwanese comfort women on International Memorial Day for Comfort Women. On the same day, a protest was held in Taipei, which called for the Japanese government to apologize and compensate Taiwanese victims.

The Tainan City Women's Human Rights Equality Promotion Association (臺南市慰安婦人權平等促進協會) joined in the protest, amid a strong police presence. After some time, a representative of the Japanese government accepted a letter of protest from the group, reported CNA.

Protestors shouted slogans including "Japan's apology, Japan's compensation", and called on the Japanese government to apologize on behalf of Fujii.

Protestors also threw eggs at Japan's de facto embassy, and had light clashes with police, reported Apple Daily.



(CNA image)

Huang Shu-chen (黃淑貞), chair of the Tainan City Women's Human Rights Equality Promotion Association said the protest was not designed to provoke hatred, but to rather facilitate discussion from both sides, reported CNA.

MOFA Spokesperson Andrew Lee (李憲章) said Taiwan's position and attached importance to the issue of comfort women has not changed. He called for calm, and asked for all people to approach the incident rationally.

Lee called on Japan to also attach importance to the issue and dignity of Taiwanese comfort women.

Japan-Taiwan Exchange Foundation has so far declined to comment on the incident and protest.



(CNA image)