[News Today] Peace statue forcibly removed in Berlin

[LEAD]
A statue in Berlin honoring victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery has been forcibly removed after standing for five years.

Amid growing suspicion of Japan's pressure behind the decision, civic groups now plan to relocate the statue elsewhere.

[REPORT]
Over in Germany, the statue of peace dedicated to the victims of Japanese wartime sex slavery in a public plot of land in Berlin's Mitte district has vanished after five years.

Officials from the local district office and the police removed the statue early in the morning.

Resident who witnessed the removal /
I saw armed police officers surrounding the statue at 7 a.m. Then it was tied up and taken away by workers.

The Mitte district office had ordered the removal of the statue since September last year, saying that the installation period for what it called a “temporary art piece” had expired.

The order was suspended because of an injunction that permitted the statue to remain for another year, but once that period ended, authorities issued a notice of forced removal.

The first trial court and even the higher court both ruled in favor of the district office.

The statue was removed just three days after the court issued the ruling.

Civic groups believe that Japan was behind such a swift execution.

Han Jung-hwa / Chief of Korea Verband
As soon as the statue was installed, the Japanese government said it ran counter to its wishes. It kept pressuring the head of Mitte and meeting with district council members.

The statues of peace installed in other German cities have also been removed.

Berlin resident /
It’s unacceptable for the mayor and the district office to give in to Japan’s demands. They are all hiding behind the law.

The civic group is discussing where to reinstall the statue once it is returned.

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