A proposed statue in Auckland to memorialise tens of thousands of women coerced into sexual slavery before and during WWII could have "a significant impact" on diplomatic relations, the Japanese Embassy has warned.
The bronze statue has been offered to New Zealand by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance, which seeks to commemorate wartime sexual violence survivors.
It depicted a seated girl next to an empty chair, resembling the Statue of Peace originally designed by Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung and installed facing the Japanese Embassy in South Korea’s Seoul in 2011.
Local authorities are considering the proposal to install the statue in the Korean Cultural Garden at Barry’s Point Reserve in Auckland’s Takapuna.
The considerations were scheduled for the April 28 Devonport-Takapuna local board meeting, which are usually open to the public and accessible via livestream.
There were 672 submissions when Auckland Council provided a three-week window for feedback in January, with 57% opposed and 43% in favour. Of those, 36% and 34% of responses came from the Japanese and South Korean communities respectively.
Reasons in favour were broadly in line with the council proposal which said the statue would “honour the courage and resilience of survivors, promote peace and remembrance and support human rights education.”
In its submission, The Refugee Women's Council of New Zealand said, “a public symbol of acceptance and understanding will lead not only to reduce harm for survivors of sexual violence in war, but help our diverse communities to feel included in public life here in Aotearoa".
Those against the proposal voiced concerns around the risk of politically-charged community division and whether a public park was an appropriate location for the statue.
Among those in strong opposition was Japanese Ambassador to New Zealand Makoto Osawa, who submitted on behalf of the Japanese Embassy.
“I am concerned that it will cause division and conflict within New Zealand's wonderful multi-ethnic and multicultural society and between Japanese and Korean communities peacefully coexisting in New Zealand,” he wrote.
“The installation of the statue could have a significant impact not only on the relations between peoples, private sectors and local governments in both countries, but also on the diplomatic relations between Japan and New Zealand.”
Osawa warned the $75,000 Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade funding given in 2015 for the development of the Korean garden could “give the impression that the New Zealand government is also supporting the installation.”
NZ should avoid 'needlessly stirring up' issue
Estimates by historians on the number of comfort women varied between 20,000 and 200,000.
The women, mostly from Korea but also from many other countries including China and the Philippines, were forced to have sex with members of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces in frontline makeshift brothels – between 10 and 30 times a day according to historians.
Many died or suffered severe trauma from their brutal mistreatment.
“The Japanese government has no intention whatsoever of denying or trivialising the existence of the issue,” Osawa said in the submission.
But he said the Japanese government has been “earnestly addressing” resulting diplomatic issues with the Republic of Korea for more than 30 years.
He pointed to a 2015 agreement between the two governments that confirmed the “final and irreversible resolution" of the issue, as well as an NZD$11 million payment to a Reconciliation and Healing Foundation.
However, various apologies and compensation efforts have been called insincere by victims, advocacy groups and scholars.
The Japanese government has admitted women and girls suffered during wartime but denied they were taken against their will for sexual slavery.
Osawa’s submission said similar statue installations have been used as a “symbol of criticism” against Japan elsewhere around the world.
Installations have been caused diplomatic tensions between Japan and several other countries including the US, Germany and Australia.
“As the strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific region becomes increasingly challenging, cooperation among like-minded countries such as Japan, New Zealand and Republic of Korea, which share fundamental values such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law is more important than ever,” Osawa wrote.
“In such a situation, needlessly stirring up interest in the comfort women issue, which has been confirmed as resolved between the Japanese and Republic of Korea governments, could become a burden not only for Japan-Republic of Korea cooperation but also for Japan - New Zealand relations.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.
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