SHANGHAI, June 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A Chinese historian Monday refuted Japan's denial of the existence of "comfort women" system during World War II, noting it is an undeniable fact.

    "Japan's denial of its existence aims to reverse verdicts on its aggression against other countries. China and all other countries that have suffered Japanese aggression must keep vigilance and take necessary countermeasures," said Su Zhiliang, director of the China "Comfort Women" Issue Research Center.

    Su said the "comfort women" system, which forced women from various countries to serve as sex slaves of the Japanese army, was an organized activity directly masterminded by the Japanese Government and headquarters of the Japanese Army and carried out by Japanese troops in various areas.

    "Under this system, at least 400,000 women were forced to serve as sex slaves for the Japanese army. The victims included women from China's mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula, Southeast Asia and Japan, as well as a small number of white women who lived in Asia," said Su.

    In his book on the "comfort women" issue, Su quoted statistics showing at least 200,000 Chinese women were forced to be "comfort women" during Japan's invasion of China. Most of them were tortured to death.

    According to Su, Shanghai was the place the "comfort women" system got started and the city suffered the most from it. So far, people have found here the sites of more than 140 "comfort houses" established by Japanese troops.

    The total number of "comfort houses" established by Japanese troops in more than 20 Chinese provinces and cities exceeded 10,000, said Su.

    "The system is a rare atrocity in the history of human civilization. It's a crime systematically committed by a state that violated humanism, human ethics and conventions of war," said Su. "It seriously trespassed upon the human rights of those women. It's a most tragic page in the history of world women."

    Su said since the "comfort women" issue came to light in the early 1990s, historians and law experts in many countries have compared it to the holocaust committed by German Nazis.

    Su said like the issues of Nanjing massacre, experiment on live human bodies and wartime forced labor, existence of the "comfort women" system is an undeniable historical fact. The world's public opinion and international organizations have already reached a judgment on it.

    According to reports passed by the UN Commission on Human Rights in 1996 and 1998, the "Comfort Women" system was one of systematic rapes and forcing women into sex slaves. The Japanese government had an unshirkable responsibility for it and should make compensations to the victims.

    In December 2000, a women's international tribunal to try war criminals opened in Tokyo. After five days of trials, the tribunalmeted out a verdict that during World War II Japanese emperor Hirohito had committed an anti-humanity crime.

    Recently, some people from the international community said that before Japan acknowledges and solves the "comfort women" issue, it does not qualify to be a candidate for permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

    In more than 10 years, Su has found more than 100 former Chinese "comfort women", 35 of whom are still alive.

    He said survivors of Chinese "comfort women" have kept silent for the longest period of time. The phenomenon is due to several reasons: First, the Japanese Government and army destroyed many of the documents to cover up the truth. Second, Chinese historians failed to conduct systematic research into the facts in time. The losses are great. Third, many of the Chinese women, constrained by conventional moral and cultural concepts, found it hard to bring the matter up.

    "Now we are at a crucial moment," said Su. "Some political forces in Japan have repeatedly denied the existence of 'comfort women' system aimed at reversing the verdicts on Japan's aggression against other countries. We must bring forward more substantial and irrefutable evidences as quickly as possible to prove the crime of the 'comfort women' system."

    "And on this basis, we should ask Japan to admit its guilt and make compensations. That's a matter that bears on the nation's moral integrity and dignity," said Su.

    Su said the Republic of Korea (ROK) has set up exhibitions on "comfort women" for Japanese troops. The government has gathered former 'comfort women' in nursing homes and taken care of their lives.

    "I hope such a nursing home will be built in Shanghai. I also hope a memorial hall on Chinese 'comfort women' will be built so that this part of history will be preserved forever," said Su.

    He said the ROK has built such a memorial hall. The Taiwan region is building one. The Chinese mainland, which suffered most from the "comfort women" system, should also build one. Enditem