Dutch Comfort Women also want apology from Japan over WWII war crimes

The Dutch Comfort Women also want an apology from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the World War II crimes they fell victim to. On Monday it was announced that Japan and South Korea reached an agreement about the South Korean Comfort Women, which states that Abe will apologize to them and create a fund for them in which Japan will put 1 billion yen, about 7.6 million euros, NOS reports.

Comfort Women is the term used to describe the thousands of women and children captured and forced into sex slave trade to service Japan's Imperial Army during World War II. Nobody knows how many women fell victim to this, though the number is estimated between 100 thousand and 300 thousand. There were an estimated 400 Dutch comfort women.

The Foundation Japanese Debts of Honor in the Netherlands is amazed about the speed in which this agreement was reached. "Apparently the political pressure of the United States on Japan and South Korea made the Abe government reach this conclusion", foundation president J.F. van Wagtendonk said to the broadcaster. He added that he is very pleased that the Japanese finally admitted guilt 70 years after the war and that he will ensure that the Dutch women also receive apologies.

Some Comfort Women in the Netherlands received financial compensation about 10 years ago. A number of them refused as a matter of principle, wanting the Japanese to first acknowledge that war crimes were committed.