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It was also during Mr. Murayama’s term of office that the Government established the Asian Women’s Fund, with a view to resolving the comfort women issue.
You worked for the establishment of the Asian Women’s Fund while you were Prime Minister. How do you view its establishment, now that you have been chosen the new President of the AWF ?
Yes, it was while I was Prime Minister that the Government established the Asian Women’s Fund, in 1995.
That year marked the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II, an appropriate time to work for the resolution those post-war national and international problems that could be resolved. I was convinced that my Cabinet had been given the historical task of tackling, in all sincerity, problems that remained after the war, and that doing so would help build relations of trust with all countries, especially other Asian countries, and open the way to a more promising 21st century.
I was personally involved in the establishment of the Asian Women’s Fund, and it is for this reason too that I will spare no effort in working, in cooperation with the Government, toward a proper resolution of the issue.
There are a variety of opinions with regard to the AWF’s projects. What is your position on this?
Yes, I am well aware that opinions are varied with regard to the projects of the Asian Women’s Fund.
Diverging opinions were being expressed before the AWF’s establishment. Although they faced a number of restrictions, the AWF’s projects were begun in order to express, in some concrete form, feelings of remorse and atonement to the former comfort women, in the hope that this would at least partially soothe their suffering. The projects may not be perfect in themselves, but it is necessary to start where one can.
It is important that all Japanese people fully understand that such mistakes of the past must never be repeated. When we look back into the past, we realize that it still cannot be said that people in other Asian countries have rid themselves of their feelings of suspicion and distrust with regard to Japan. As for Japan, our post-war education system has not taught students much modern history. Today, there is a considerable gap in the way the past is viewed by young Japanese, and the way it is viewed by other people in Asia. If this gap is not eliminated, I don’t see how true relations of trust can be developed.
Through the AWF’s campaigns for donations, young people are learning that terrible things happened in the past, and understand that such things must never be allowed to happen again. It is very important that they understand this. That is why the AWF’s activities are most certainly not taking a mistaken path. I believe that the AWF’s activities represent the best road we can take at the present time.
What are your first goals as President of the AWF ?
I intend to work responsibly to ensure that the AWF’s projects are resolutely implemented, keeping in mind the reasons why the AWF was established, and the goals it was given.
The AWF should provide projects of atonement to the former comfort women as soon as possible, while they are still in good health, and the projects must faithfully convey the feelings of the many Japanese who have shown their approval for the AWF’s projects. This is why we will continue to call on the Japanese people to make donations. Our only option is to work as hard as possible to ensure the cooperation of the Japanese people.
When promoting Asian Women’s Fund activities, I intend to listen closely to the opinions of the AWF’s Directors and Advisory Committee members, who have worked very hard over the last five years on a volunteer basis.
In addition to its projects of atonement, over the last five years, the AWF has promoted efforts to eliminate actions that defile the honor and dignity of women, such as the violation of women’s rights during armed conflict, domestic violence, the trafficking of human beings, and the judicial maltreatment of women. The AWF has also organized international conferences and promoted research, investigations and studies to examine such issues.
Violence against women and violations of their human rights still occur in different parts of the world. AWF projects promoting the honor and dignity of women are extremely important in ensuring that tragedies such as those involving the former comfort women are never repeated, and I intend to work even harder for these aims.
From a press conference given on the occasion of Mr. Tomiichi Murayama’s appointment as President of the AWF , 1 September 2000
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nniversary of the end of World War II. During his time in office, he worked for the resolution of a number of post-war issues that had still not been adequately addressed, including: the issue of the return of Koreans who had been left behind in Sakhalin; the issue of atonement for former comfort women; and pollution in Minamata, Japan. Under his guidance, the Government passed progressive legislation such as the Law Concerning Relief for Atomic Bomb Victims and the New Ainu Law.