The UN Human Rights Committee has questioned Japan over its military’s use of sex slaves in World War Two.This was during a consideration of Japan’s periodic report on its implementation of an international treaty on civil and political rights.
Committee experts said the system of institutionalized sex slavery used by the Japanese Army, has been described as the most compelling example of the crime of sexual slavery and denial of justice to victims. They also said that in an official apology made in 1993, Japanese authorities committed to squarely face the historical facts and take them as lessons of history. Now it was time for Japan to take the first lesson, by replacing the euphemism "comfort women" with "enforced sex slaves". But the Japanese delegation replied that the term "sexual slaves" was not appropriate, and the forceful nature of the use of "comfort women" had been partly recognized, adding that Japan did not consider this as a slavery issue.