The China Post
Date: December 12, 2016
By: Yuan-Ming Chiao

TAIPEI, Taiwan — TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chen Lien-hua (陳蓮花) appears composed as she gestures

‘REMEMBERING HISTORY, TRANSCENDING PAIN’ (CNA)

toward a glass panel painting she created, which is bursting with lilac lines that curve their way across the composition. The sweeping brushstrokes spill from a heart at the base of the panel, reaching across the composition like hands, bold and resolute.

Chen, 92, known affectionately as “Lien-hua Ama,” (“Ama” means grandmother in Taiwanese), was on hand for a personalized tour through the AMA Museum (阿嬤家- 和平與女性人權館). The museum was established by the Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation (TWRF, 婦女救援基金會) and dedicated to commemorating survivors of sex slavery under Japanese military occupation during World War II. Guided by attentive staff members, Chen stared intently at each of the photos of women who were part of the struggle for recognition, many of whom had already passed away.

Like that glass panel painting by Lien-hua Ama, the new site goes beyond the stories of abuse that these women faced, delving into the collective action that they have taken toward healing. The museum draws public attention to an issue that has left an indelible mark on these women’s lives. And now the women’s memories have found a permanent home.    [FULL  STORY]