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ASIA / PACIFIC Page 16 n THE ASIAN REPORTER January 18, 2016 Filipinos raped by Japanese troops demand compensation COMPENSATION CLAIM. Four of the remain- ing 32 alleged World War II sex slaves clench their fists along with their legal counsel, Harry Roque, center, to demand compensation and an apology from the Japanese government, during a news conference in Manila, the Philippines. They are, from left, Avelina Culala, 85, Isabelita Vinuya, 84, Emilia Mangilit, 83, and Candelaria Soliman, 85. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) By Teresa Cerojano The Associated Press ANILA, The Philippines — A group of elderly Filipino women raped by Japanese troops during World War II have called for compensation from Japan, following Tokyo’s pledge of $8.3 million for South Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during the war. The women’s lawyers said they were also exploring the possibility of filing cases with United Nations bodies and holding Philippine President Benigno Aquino III liable for allegedly failing to support the case of the women against Japan. Isabelita Vinuya, the 84-year-old president of Malaya Lolas — a group of Filipino women abducted and raped by Japanese troops in their village — urged the Philippine government to support their demand for justice from Japan. “We have appealed more than once or twice to our government to help us, sup- port us before Japan so that we can be given justice for the sufferings we went through during World War II,” Vinuya said at a news conference, adding that many of the women have died without seeing justice. M Japan and South Korea recently announced they had settled their decades- long standoff over wartime sex slaves, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologizing and agreeing to contribute 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) for a foundation to help support the victims. Historians say tens of thousands of women from around Asia were sent to frontline military brothels to provide sex to Japanese soldiers. “Is there a difference in the rape of a South Korean and a Filipino woman?” Harry Roque, the Filipino victims’ lawyer, said at the news conference. “The answer is there should be none, because rape is a crime against women and is prohibited by international humanitarian law and is recognized as an international crime.” He noted that South Korea’s Supreme Court had ordered the government to fight for the rights of the Korean victims, but that the Philippines’ top court dismissed in 2010 a case filed by Vinuya and 70 other women urging the court to compel the government to press their claims against Japan. The Philippine court also denied an appeal filed by the women. Vinuya said she was 13 years old when the Japanese troops raped women and children in her village of Mapaniqui in Pampanga province, around 37 miles north of Manila. The troops also razed homes and killed men in the village. Three other women at the news conference said they were teenagers when they were raped during the siege. Vinuya said only 32 of more than 90 women from her victims’ group are still alive. Only 70 of 174 from another such group, the Lila-Filipina, are alive, accord- ing to its head, Richilda Extremadura. Extremadura also called on Japan to compensate former sex slaves and rape victims from the Philippines and 11 other countries and urged President Aquino to initiate talks with Japan. Seoul delivers barrage of K-pop across border to North Korea Continued from page one messages to death, or a god from the underworld, saying it isn’t yet time to say goodbye to living. It was so popular among young and old that Kakao Talk, South Korea’s most popular messenger app, created emoticons, or animated images, from the music video. The song inspired a host of online parodies and memes, and political parties reportedly sought to use it in their campaigns during up- coming general elections. Also echoing over the Demilitarized Zone: GFriend’s “Me gustas Tu,” about a girl who is trying to muster courage and over- come shyness to ask a boy out. GFriend rose to fame last year when a fan posted a video on YouTube show- ing its members standing up after falling several times on a slippery stage to complete an outdoor per- formance. The YouTube video has nearly 9 million views since it was uploaded in September. Other songs broadcast across the border are by singer IU, the popular female group Apink, and idol boy band Big Bang. It’s not the first time music has been employed against an enemy. Most famously, when the U.S. invaded Panama in 1989 to oust Manuel Noriega, American forces blasted rock music outside the Vatican Embassy, where the dictator had holed up, to encourage his surrender. North Koreans are pro- hibited from listening to K-pop, and are allowed to listen only to government- controlled radio stations or television channels. Despite that, North Korean defectors say South Korean music is popular in their home country, with songs and other elements of South Korean popular culture smuggled in on DVDs and USB sticks. 1 YEAR after you quit smoking, your risk of heart disease is cut in half. QUIT SM OKING TODAY. CALL: 1.800.QUIT.NOW Mark your calendar! The Year of the Monkey begins February 8, 2016. Display advertising space reservations for our special Year of the Monkey issue are due Monday, January 18 at 5:00pm. The Asian Reporter’s Lunar New Year special issue will be published on Monday, February 1, 2016. quitnow.net/oregon