Merepeka Raukawa-Tait: Apology shamefully overdue

South Korean college students hold portraits of the deceased former South Korean sex slaves who were forced to serve for the Japanese military in World War II.

I hate war. No matter how right the cause, who really wins in the end. Since the beginning of time, man has continued to kill and plunder. And for what? To enlarge kingdoms, acquire slaves, impose religious beliefs or destroy dictators. All seen as highly desirable ends to those involved at the time, I'm sure. History is written on countless battlefields over the centuries, before and after Christ. Man's inability to live peacefully, side by side, continues to this day.

And it's not just the loss of soldiers' lives fighting futile battles - whether going over the top, dying in the trenches, being blown up, or shot out of the sky - civilians are casualties too. Particularly women, children and the elderly. Often now referred to as "collateral damage", they die too. Some have lived to tell their horror story.

And, just before Christmas, it happened. It may well be a highly political and sensitive issue to both Japan and Korea but why did it take the Japan Government 70 years to apologise to Korean women? Those forced into servicing Japanese soldiers during World War II? The apology has been long awaited. In fact, the Imperial Japanese Army forced women and girls into sexual slavery in occupied territories before WWII. Called Comfort Women, a euphemism for prostitutes, their exact numbers are still being debated but figures range from 20,000 to as high as 400,000, depending on which country has undertaken the research. Ironically, comfort stations, where the women were sent, were set up to stop rape crimes committed by Japanese soldiers in occupied areas. To prevent the rise of hostility in these occupied lands. One sex crime operation, condoned and supported by the military regime, set up to avoid the same crime being committed unlawfully. There were about 2000 stations set up with women from Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, Taiwan, Burma, Indonesia and Dutch East Indies interred. Survivors said they each had to service between 30 and 40 men every day.

Several decades after the end of the war, women from Dutch East Indies, Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines demanded a formal apology and compensation from the Japan Government with varying levels of success. This long overdue apology must be bittersweet to the remaining survivors now in their 80s and 90s.

And now we hear it's the peacekeeping forces who are at it. The United Nations, and its member countries, have tens of thousands of peacekeepers serving in some of the world's most volatile areas. But it is the French peacekeeping forces in the Central African Republic who have the spotlight shining on them. What makes this situation different and so shameful is that it is children who are the victims in this instance. They are the ones who are being sexually abused. Brought to the attention of United Nations officials even before 2012, still no one is being held accountable. And, when the director of field operations did pass on a report in 2012 documenting the sexual abuse to senior officials, they failed to act. Instead, he got suspended. He has since been exonerated.

Peacekeepers, as the name suggests, are there to protect and ensure the safety of those living in war-torn countries. In this instance, the children have been betrayed. One observer has stated "The issue with the UN is that peacekeeping operations seem to be doing the same thing that other militaries do. Even the guardians have to be guarded." Is this behaviour just confined to French peacekeeping personnel? Do we know what is happening with the peacekeeping forces of other countries - our own included?

This raises the question, when countries are at war today, what protection, if any, is afforded the women and children of the countries involved? The solders seem to have their needs taken care of. What about the basic human rights of women and children? Are they to be neglected altogether? Fighting men don't leave their basic instincts at home when they go off to fight - or keep the peace. But the laws of the Geneva Convention, around the conduct of warring sides towards civilians, particularly women and children, must be upheld.

Japan provided for their soldiers 70 years ago, albeit shamefully at the expense of women, but today it appears children will do. Suffer little children. Never a truer word.

- Merepeka lives in Rotorua. She writes, speaks and broadcasts to thwart the spread of political correctness.