War memorials. Who decides what to remember and how it is remembered? When thinking of war crimes during WW2, most Americans automatically think of Nazi Germany. Many of the Japanese’ cruel and brutal attacks on civilians in Southeast Asia have been overlooked or silenced in much of the western world. The Japanese government has denied or downplayed these war crimes despite overwhelming evidence.

In December of 2017, a statue was erected in Manila to remember the Filipinas who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during the Japanese occupation of the country in World War II. These women would be known as the “comfort women” of Asia. Within a few months, and under pressure from the Japanese embassy, the Philippine government removed the statue from the Manila Bay.

It's estimated that around 1,000 Filipina women were forced into sex slavery during the Japanese occupation and about 200,000 women were enslaved in Asia between 1932-1945 according to a United Nations investigation. President Rodrigo Duterte claimed that the statue was removed because it isn’t the policy of the Philippines to “insult other nations.” He added that “Japan had already apologized and made reparations.”

Lila Pilipina, an advocate group for remembering the comfort women of the Philippines, claims that the Japanese reparations ended in the 1970s, while the matter of comfort women did not arise until the 1990s. In a 1993 apology, the Japanese government released in a statement that “recruitment of the comfort women was conducted mainly by private recruiters who acted in response to the request of the military.” Advocates of the statue believe that the apology was insincere because it implied that many women were willing participants who consented to become comfort women.

The bronze comfort women statue stood seven feet tall and was placed on Roxas Boulevard next to the Manila Bay, close to the Japanese embassy. Since Japan is considered the “Land of the Rising Sun” the statue had also been positioned facing away from the sea where the sun sets. The figure depicts a grieving woman in a traditional Filipina gown embellished in perennial grass to represent the comfort women’s resilience. She wears a blindfold to symbolize the injustice committed.

Rechilda Extremadura, executive director of Lila Pilipina, proclaimed at the statue unveiling that their “Our objective really is to raise the awareness of the Filipino people about the plight of the comfort women, not just in the Philippines but also in Asia, so that they will not forget.” Advocates were hoping that the statue would launch a conversation not only about Japan’s earlier apology but also the inclusion of comfort women in Japan’s historical narratives.

Within a week of the statue being erected, the Japanese Embassy sent an “Extremely Urgent” letter to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs requesting information on the circumstances leading up to the construction of the comfort women statue. Japanese officials also went to Manila City Hall to express regret over the statue since it continues to “remain a sensitive diplomatic issue between Japan and the Asian neighbors it invaded.”

The Philippine government eventually succumbed to pressure from the Japanese government and removed the statue in late April of 2018 while the city was improving the drainage system in the area. Instead of moving the statue to another location it was returned to its creator Jonas Roces. Although Japan succeeded in removing the statue in the Philippines, it hasn’t been as successful in other countries. San Francisco’s “sister city” of Osaka has cut all ties after the city erected a sculpture in memory of the comfort women.

The Japanese government must acknowledge the human rights violations of the past. Japanese officials should look to Germany’s example of museums and exhibits that foster understanding about war crimes. The “comfort women” statue should return to the Manila bay to honor the women who were forced into sex slavery.