MANILA, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Pointing to her distant grandma's portrait at an exhibition in the Philippines' capital, Manila, Jonna Zapanta said with a heavy heart that her relative was abducted by Japanese troops in 1942 and became a "comfort woman" victim, and that sorrow dwells in her eyes.
"My family once did not want to spread this intergenerational trauma to me, and rarely spoke of this relative," said Zapanta, creative director of the exhibit "Courage in Chaos: Narratives of Women and War," on view from Oct. 1 to 14.
However, while sorting through "comfort women" archives, she stumbled across a survivor with the same family name as her grandmother. After pressing her grandmother for details, she found out the survivor was her grandmother's cousin who suffered a whole life by Japanese wartime atrocities -- a fate shared by many "comfort women."
"Eighty-one years have passed since the end of World War II, yet the Japanese government has still not issued a formal apology to 'comfort women,'" said Zapanta.
Organized by Lila Pilipina, an organization fighting for justice for Philippine wartime sexual slavery victims, the exhibition showcased exhibits including dozens of portraits of WWII "comfort women" victims, paintings and handcrafted works made by the survivors, and anti-war slogans and books.
Between 1942 and 1945, approximately 1,000 Filipino women and girls were forced into sexual slavery as "comfort women." For many survivors, the suffering lingered long after the war ended.
At the gallery wall, hand-drawn works by late "comfort woman" Remedios Felias depicting Japanese troops committing sexual violence against Filipino women, who scream with contorted faces, gained wide attention.
"Many young people today did not live through the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. We hope these paintings and photographs help people understand the sufferings of comfort women," said Sharon Cabusao-Silva, coordinator of Lila Pilipina.
Cabusao-Silva said only a handful of survivors remain, among whom most are elderly and frail. Lila Pilipina tracks their health and supports them with material assistance.
Another set of comics at the exhibition recounts a more recent episode: In 2017, a memorial statue honoring "comfort women" was erected in Manila, only to be removed months later following intense diplomatic pressure from Tokyo.
"It is so shameful and a disrespect for history to remove the 'comfort women' statue in the Philippines," said Teresita Ang-See, a Filipino civic leader. She added that Filipinos must never forget the crimes committed by Japanese troops against them, and wars should not occur again in the country.
Tourists also write on sticky notes and affix them on the gallery wall, with messages such as: "Justice for all our Lolas (grandmother in Tagalog)," "Tribute to the victims of war," "For the continuing fight for the Lolas."
"I can hardly imagine what suffering these Lolas went through. I am deeply inspired by their courage as they persisted in living and fighting," said Irish Keng, a student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She added that it is her first time learning that countries in Asia, including China and the Republic of Korea, endured similar historical trauma.
Cabusao-Silva said "comfort women" in the Philippines and other countries victimized by the Japanese military in WWII deserve justice and recognition.
Commenting on Japan's military moves in recent years and the Japanese government's remarks on historical issues, she said the Japanese government should not launch a war again. "It's high time the Japanese government recognizes its responsibility." ■