Mock trial finds Japanese government guilty in comfort women case

Описание: (4 Dec 2001)
1. Former comfort women lined up in court being applauded (holding copies of court declaration)
2. Judges entering court
3. Close-up of court logo reading "Women's international War Crimes Tribunal"
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Carmen Maria Argibay, tribunal judge:
"(Japanese Emperor) Hirohito was clearly on notice that crimes might be committed against civilians, yet he made no attempt to prevent the crimes. Nor did he ensure that the crimes were punished after their commission. Accordingly, we find Hirohito criminally responsible as a superior for the rape crimes committed against women and girls during the 'Rape of Mapanique' (mass rape of women in Philippines in November 1944)."
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Willy Muntunga, tribunal judge:
"For all these reasons, we find that the application for state responsibility is valid and that the Japanese government is liable for the harm inflicted by the Japanese military sexual slavery system and by the breech of continuing obligations resulting therefrom."
6. Former comfort women walking forward to collect bound copies of tribunal ruling (Mrs. Suhanah from Indonesia, Ema Kastimah from Indonesia, Jan Ruff-O'Herne from the Netherlands, Kim Eun-rye from South Korea, Virginia Bulaon Manalastas from the Philippines, and North Korean Woman)
7. SOUNDBITE: (Korean) Kim Eun-rye, South Korean former comfort woman
"Unless I get a full apology and compensation from the Japanese government as a result of this tribunal decision, I will not be able to close my eyes when I die."
8. SOUNDBITE: (Bahasa Indonesia) Ema Kastimah, Indonesian former comfort woman
"I am very happy. Justice has finally been done after 50 years, but because of what happened, I will never be able to get married."
9. SOUNDBITE: (Tagalog) Maxima Regala de la Cruz, Filippina former comfort woman
"I am very happy, because of the justice that I am now being given. Now I feel my personal rights are being restored."
10. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) Lin Shen-chung, Taiwanese former comfort woman
"I hope Japan will make restitution for these crimes before I die."
11. Wide shot of tribunal hall
STORYLINE:
Applying the standards of a war tribunal, a mock court held the Japanese government guilty on Tuesday of creating, regulating and maintaining a policy of sexual enslavement for its troops during World War II and demanded that Tokyo make amends for its dark past.
The demand for compensation was made by the Women's International War Crimes Tribunal, a self-appointed group that has no judicial authority.
The tribunal was headed by Judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald of the United States, a former president of the U-N war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Although its recommendations are not binding, the tribunal questioned witnesses and gathered evidence much like a real court.
The panel of four international judges also asked the allied countries that fought Japan 60 years ago to release records of the wartime system of «comfort women» and declassify documents showing why the late Japanese Emperor Hirohito was not prosecuted.
In the 1930 and 1940s, up to 200,000 women are believed to have been forced into prostitution across Asia. They were held in prison-like conditions and many were subjected to
daily beatings, torture and rape.
An indictment compiled by the mock court charges the former emperor and eight high-ranking military and government officials with crimes against humanity for atrocities carried out by subordinates.
At the same time, Tokyo set up a private foundation to issue compensation.

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