The Statue of Peace ‘Nujin’, which was built in cooperation with the student council (AStA) and the Korea Verband (Korea Association), stood in the University of Kassel’s campus garden since last year until a few days ago. On March 9th, 2023, the university management secretly removed her without communicating the date beforehand with the AStA or the Korea Verband. We demand that the Statue of Peace 'Nujin' be returned to her place in the campus garden!
The Statue of Peace must be saved so that sexual violence in the context of colonialism and fascism is not further swept under the rug in favor of the perpetrators! To achieve this, we want to collect signatures with the campaign for the re-erection and preservation of the Peace Statue.
This is the petition of the Korea Verband, AG "Trostfrauen", and Initiative Statue of Peace for Kassel:
Reason
About 200,000 girls and young women were abducted by the Japanese military from at least 14 countries during the Asia-Pacific War (1931-1945), forced into sex slavery, and stigmatized as so-called "comfort women." It was not until 1991, after nearly half a century, that a survivor broke her silence about the war crimes she had suffered. Although the Japanese government officially admitted in 1993 that it had committed those crimes, the Japanese government has since actively prevented any kind of reappraisal or coming to terms with the past and exerts pressure on all governments around the world to follow suit. No government, including that of Germany’s, wants to jeopardize good economic relations with Japan.
The AStA Kassel became aware of the Statue of Peace in Berlin's Mitte district in early 2022. The statue had been erected with official permission from the German authorities but was subsequently almost torn down due to diplomatic pressure from Japan. By erecting a new statue (on permanent loan from the Korea Association) on campus, AStA Kassel wanted to draw students' attention to the continuity of sexualized violence in times of war and peace and especially to the courage of the women who broke the taboo. After the installation, the university presidium was pressured by the Japanese government and right-wing forces from Japan. Despite ongoing negotiations between the Korea Association and the university administration of the University of Kassel, the latter removed 'Nujin' on the hypocritial grounds that the statue's display period had expired and the university senate had not voted to extend it.
Please sign for the re-erection and preservation of the 'Nujin' Statue of Peace and make the story known!
Thank you for your support, Korea-Verband e.V. from Berlin
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Debate
This is not only about condemning war atrocities Japan committed. The meaning of the statue needs to be perceived as our generations' determination and effort that we will not allow such violations of human rights, such horrible violence against women, repeat in the future.
No CONTRA argument yet.
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Why people sign
Handa-city Aichi-ken
Justis
Busan
When I know the right fact, I can do the right action.
I thank the student council of the University of Kassel and the Korea Verband for their efforts.
Please refer to this movie. → 귀향 (Spirits’ Homecoming)
☞ www.youtube.com/watch?v=swr31M8iIbc
-0004 Musashino, Tokyo
For the sake of all the women and others in socially vulnerable and marginalised positions.
Canberra
As a historian of Japan and Korea, I am deeply shocked that senior university officials should take action to erase the memory of the past. Violence against women in war is an issue of enormous importance today, as it was during World War II. How can you seek to obscure and deny this history?
Langley
The repersentation of what this statue holds should never be erased, and I believe everyone should know the true history of what has happened, and not let anyone withold the truth.