Source: Radio New Zealand
The peace statue was gifted to New Zealand by the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance. Supplied / Auckland Council
Plans to commemorate the thousands of women and girls forced into sexual slavery by Japanese armed forces have been turned down.
About 200,000 victims, who became known as ‘comfort women’, were forced into slavery during the 1930s and 40s.
The Korean Garden Trust wanted to install a bronze sculpture and plaque at Barry’s Point Reserve in Auckland’s Takapuna.
Devonport-Takapuna board chairwoman Trish Deans said the board recognised the significance of the history the statue represents and acknowledged the survivors it would have honoured.
“This was a difficult decision, and one we did not make lightly,” she said.
“We carefully considered staff advice and the feedback received from the community through a formal consultation process.”
Korean Garden at Barry’s Point Reserve, Takapuna. Supplied / Auckland Council
The local board received 673 submissions on the proposal, some supporting the proposal as an opportunity for reflection and education, and others raising concerns about community tension and the suitability of the location.
“After considering the range of views shared with us, the board determined that Barry’s Point Reserve is not the appropriate location for this proposal,” Deans said.
Aotearoa New Zealand Statue of Peace said it was disappointed by the news.
“This is a loss for our local community and for upholding survivor voices,” the group said in a Facebook post.
“We are steadfast in our commitment to stand with survivors of gender-based and conflict-related violence, and carrying on the legacy of the grandmothers.
“This decision not to honour civilian casualties of war so soon after Anzac Day cuts particularly deeply. However, we will continue to work towards a future where these justice and remembrance activities requested by the survivors are welcomed rather than oppressed by powerful interests.”
The Free Speech Union was concerned the board may have been influenced by a submission by the Japanese embassy.
“The board chair has described the statue as ‘a political statement’. That standard is hard to apply consistently,” said its chief executive Jillaine Heather.
“Cenotaphs, Anzac memorials, war graves, plaques to past injustices: every public memorial makes a statement. The question is which statements we consider acceptable, and whose discomfort decides.
“Korean New Zealanders offered a memorial to victims of one of the worst sexual atrocities of the twentieth century, in their own designated cultural space. Public space is precisely where communities mark their history, and they should be able to have that conversation with their local board, not under the shadow of a foreign embassy’s submission.”
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
