18,000 butterflies by mail, one in the sky
Dear friend,
'Comfort woman' survivor Gil Won Ok at Parliament House We've been blown away by the response from around the country to our campaign for justice for World War II 'comfort women' - thank you for being a part of it.
During the August sitting of Federal Parliament, around 18,000 Australians flooded the Prime Minister's office with symbolic butterflies to show their support for these inspiring women who are still waiting for long-past human rights abuses to be addressed.
While over 11,000 people flocked to our website to create their own virtual butterfly message for Kevin Rudd, Amnesty International was on the road collecting thousands more signed butterflies from people across the country.
The clear message that 18,000 Australians sent the Prime Minister? It's high time that Australia joins almost all other Allied countries and calls on the Japanese Government to accept responsibility for the abuses endured by 'comfort women' in WWII.
Thank you for telling the Prime Minister that you want Australia to support the survivors of Japan's 'comfort women' system.
In mid-August, Amnesty International Australia worked with Friends of Comfort Women Australia to organise a visit to Canberra for 81-year-old 'comfort woman' survivor Gil Won Ok of Korea. Grandma Gil talked with parliamentarians and journalists about her experiences, and emphasised the importance of Australia's support for her cause.
With the generous donations provided by supporters through our online butterfly action, we were able to write a huge "Japan Say Sorry" message in the sky above Parliament House next to a giant butterfly at the time of Grandma Gil's visit.
Together, the voices of thousands of Australians, our skywriting message and Gil Won Ok's visit conveyed a clear message that we want our Government to support WWII 'comfort women' - we hope our parliamentarians are listening. We look forward to keeping you updated with the results of your efforts on our website campaign pages.
Thank you for supporting these inspiring women who are still fighting for justice so long after the human rights abuses they endured. Together we are making an impact.
Hannah Harborow
Campaign Coordinator
Amnesty International Australia
PS: On the weekend Japan's Democratic Party won the Japanese general elections in a massive landslide. This is just the second time since 1955 that the Liberal Democratic Party has been displaced from rule, and potentially is the final opportunity for Japan to make a lasting and meaningful apology while the surviving 'comfort women' are still alive.
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