Emperor ‘could have halted atrocities’

By Kwan Weng Kin, The Straits Times, 13 December 2000

TOKYO—The late Emperor Hirohito was well aware of the Rape of Nanking and could have halted the atrocities by Japanese soldiers, judges at a people's tribunal found.

But instead, he promoted sexual slavery through intensification of the comfort women system.

The judges said the emperor, as the supreme commander of his country's military, had the responsibility and power to ensure that his subordinates obeyed international law and stopped engaging in sexual violence.

But instead of preventing the mass rapes, he had consciously approved or, at least, negligently permitted the extension of the comfort women system, the judges said in their summary of findings.

From the regular reports the emperor received, he knew, or should have known, what occurred and he took no action to respond, pointed out presiding judge Gabrielle Kirk McDonald of the United States.

Two Japanese academics gave expert opinions testifying against the late monarch at the tribunal.

Professor Yoshiaki Yoshimi of Chuo University told the tribunal that the forced sexual slavery system was highly organised.