Nov 22, 1994 | News
This report published today is the outcome of an ICJ mission to the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to Japan in April 1993 to study the issue.
The report documents the circumstances in which “sexual services” were forcibly obtained from Korean and Filipino women by the Japanese army before and during World War II. It contains the poignant testimonies of former “comfort women” who have had the courage to reveal their ordeal to the world. It also examines the legal responsibility of the present Japanese government towards these women whose numbers range between 100,000 and 200,000 and what steps must be taken to rehabilitate them.
The report is written by Ms. Ustinia Dolgopol, Lecturer at the School of Law, The Flinders University of South Australia and Ms. Snehal Paranjape, an Advocate of the Bombay High Court, India. They interviewed over 40 victims, three former soldiers, government representatives, NGOs, lawyers, academics and journalists.
The ICJ report finds that the Japanese Imperial Army was responsible for the setting up of a vast network of “comfort stations” for the “enjoyment” of the Japanese Army, before and during World War II. Chinese, Dutch, Filipino, Indonesian, Korean, Malaysian, Taiwanese and other women and girls, often as young as 13, were thrown into these “comfort stations” and “sexual services” were extracted from them through unimaginable violence and cruelty. The Japanese military was fully responsible for the setting up, use, operation and control of the “comfort stations.” Detailed regulations – which are reproduced in the Report – were framed by it in this regard.
This report urges the Government of Japan to take immediate steps to provide full rehabilitation and restitution to the victims as it is clear that it bears a moral and legal obligation towards them. It also contains a list of recommendations as to how this should be done.
The report is available at the ICJ Secretariat in Geneva.
Nov 21, 1994 | News
Today, the ICJ condemned the shooting of demonstrators with lethal firearms, which caused the death of at least 14 Palestinians and injured 200 others.
Even when demonstrators throw stones at the security forces, the practice in countries shows that it is neither necessary nor permissible to use lethal weapons against them.
All violence used in self-defence must be necessary and proportionate to the violence used or the threat of violence. Stone-throwing rioters can be quelled by the use of water-hoses and other non-lethal measures, and the security forces can be protected with helmets and shields, The bloody events in Gaza are the consequence of a serious violation by the Palestinian Police of international and local standards.
The ICJ welcomes the establishment of a judicial Committee of Inquiry to investigate the details of the tragic incident in Gaza on 18 November 1994. Furthermore, the ICJ calls upon the Palestinian Authority to refrain from the use of lethal and indiscriminate force against civilians and to bring the actions of their agents into conformity with accepted international standards.
Oct 20, 1994 | News
The ICJ deplores yesterday’s outrageous killing of civilians in Tel Aviv which claimed 22 Israeli lives and tens of other injured persons.
Those responsible for such an act should be brought to justice.
The ICJ is concerned over the potential consequences of this shocking killing. In retaliation, other innocent lives might be targeted. The ICJ calls upon all parties to end the vicious circle of violence.
Aug 23, 1994 | News
The ICJ expresses its appreciation to the Commissioner of Elections of Sri Lanka for the invitation extended to it to send observers to the recently concluded parliamentary general elections.
The ICJ observers were its commissioners Justice Dorab Patel, former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Emeritus Chairman of the Pakistan Human Rights Commission and former Chief Chairman of the Pakistan Elections Commission; and Dato’ Param Cumaraswamy, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of the Judiciary and President of Lawasia.
They joined 42 international observers from 12 countries and their task was to assess and evaluate whether the elections had been free and fair. The ICJ Commissioners reported that they were “generally free and fair” except for the elections in the districts of Jaffna and Vanni.” The reason being that Jaffna and Vani, situated in the north of Sri Lanka, have been subjected to armed confrontation between the Sri Lanka security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and, consequently, the government controls only 20% of the land in Jaffna. The observers reported that in both districts people had been subjected to extensive intimidation by an armed political group who also presented candidates for the election.
Elections throughout the 22 Electoral Districts of the country including Jaffna and Vanni proceeded on 16 August 1994. The observers stated that “the elections in those two districts were not only not free and unfair,” but that “the genuineness of the same elections is questionable.” They added, “We express our concern over the impact of the outcome of the elections in those districts on the outcome of the overall results of the General Elections.” The ICJ Commissioners nevertheless concluded that “otherwise the election had been conducted with the highest democratic standards in difficult circumstances” and expressed their great admiration to the electorate of Sri Lanka who turned out in large numbers.
Jun 22, 1994 | News
The ICJ regrets the Government of Pakistan’s attempt to influence the result of the ICJ report on Kashmir.
Jun 21, 1994 | News
The ICJ is deeply saddened by the assassination of Mr. Youssef Fathallah, the President of the Algerian League for Human Rights.
