Another Chinese victim of wartime military sexual slavery by Japan recently passed away, leaving only six known survivors in China.

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Chinese survivors of wartime military sexual slavery by Japan. Only six now remain in China. / Photo by Xinhua

According to a report by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on July 9, Grandma Hui (a name chosen by the victim to protect her privacy) passed away the previous dawn at her home in Pingjiang County, Hunan Province, at the age of 99. The Chinese Comfort Women Research Center at Shanghai Normal University also confirmed the news.

Born in 1928 in Changsa, Hunan Province—the hometown of former Chairman Mao Zedong—Grandma Hui was forcibly mobilized as a comfort woman in the summer of 1945 after being included on a recruitment list drawn up by the Yuzhihui, a pro-Japanese Chinese organization established in occupied territory, acting under the orders of the Japanese military.

At the time, the Yuzhihui recruited women under the pretext of laundry work, but the Japanese military used them as sexual slaves. Grandma Hui suffered these atrocities for over ten days, sustaining arm injuries from Japanese military violence that left her with lifelong complications.

Grandma Hui was officially confirmed as a surviving victim of wartime military sexual slavery following a visit by a research team from the Shanghai Normal University center in August 2024. In relation to this, the center recalled that Grandma Hui lost both her parents and her son during her youth due to Japan's war of aggression. They highly praised her decision to disclose her ordeal despite suffering from illnesses throughout her life, ensuring that Japan's war crimes are remembered by the world.

According to the center, Grandma Hui's passing leaves only six surviving victims of wartime military sexual slavery in mainland China, though it is estimated that more survivors who have not yet disclosed their experiences still exist. This suggests that more individuals may step forward to reveal the truth before they pass away.

                                                                                                           Hong Soon-do