Abe to pledge $1 mil to help victims of sexual violence in U.N. speech

A government giving 1 million dollars is like me given 1 yen. Unless this is coming out of his own pocket it is a very insignificant amount and he is trying to buy approval at a very cheap price.

Im sure harper and Abe will get along real well... Both hyper conservative

I thought Abe said that Japan didn't have any "comfort women."

It is hypocritical of Abe to support female victims of sexual violence, while denying there was coercion in recruitment of the wartime sex slaves in the Japanese Imperial Army.

i don't understand why they do that.only for the efforts to improve a national image??i guess there are other reasons.

I'm sure the abused women in Japan can use some handouts too.

I thought Abe said that Japan didn't have any "comfort women."

Women in Africa aren't donated from the national budget like those 'comfort women' were.

More smoke and mirrors by Abe. We'll see if he once again blatantly lies.

Shankun - I didnt know women in Africa would be used as such a reference to the Japan comfort women discussion. Please enlighten us further as to Africa's national budget as such.

“comfort women,” a euphemism for women from Korea and other parts of Asia drafted into sexual slavery."

That's actually incorrect. Comfort Women is a euphemism for Military Prostitutes. And as such they were paid, which slaves are not.

BertieWoosterSep. 19, 2013 - 07:51AM JST I thought Abe said that Japan didn't have any "comfort women."

You are wrong. Abe said that they weren't "coerced", not that they didn't exist.

Part of that $1 million first should go the remaining Comfort Women savaged by the Imperial forces in WW2!

Will he hold his pinky up to his mouth when he says "O.N.E. M.I.L.L.I.O.N. D.O.L.L.A.R.S!!"?

“comfort women,” a euphemism for women from Korea and other parts of Asia drafted into sexual slavery."

That's actually incorrect. Comfort Women is a euphemism for Military Prostitutes. And as such they were paid, which slaves are not.

Claims of sexual slavery by Japan was made by Korea, China, Philippines, Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia and the list goes on. So you believe the whole world is telling the same lie, and only a handful of Japanese politicians and ultra-nationalist are telling the truth?

Ossan: "That's actually incorrect. Comfort Women is a euphemism for Military Prostitutes."

To the history deniers, yes.

Anyway, what I want to see Abe do more than anything is make good on his pledges and vows and promises to help the people of Tohoku before giving away aid to other nations, or if he is indeed going to put money towards helping victims of sex crimes, then own up to history first and pay off Japan's MASSIVE debts on the subject.

BertieWoosterSep. 19, 2013 - 07:51AM JST

I thought Abe said that Japan didn't have any "comfort women."

Wrong. Abe said comfort women were not coerced, meaning they did prostitution out of their will. As far as Koreans are concerned, there is no reliable evidence that they were coerced. Rather, US documents made at that time show Korean comfort women were not coerced. However, Koreans keep saying, "Korean comfort women were drafted by Japanese government." I think that is not true and they have never showed anything to support their allegation. Japanese word for "comfort woman" is ianfu, which means a prostitute.

Apart from comfort women, there were a lot of rape victims during WW2. I think rape victims should not be confused with comfort women and should be addressed differently.

Great cause don't get me wrong but who does this money goto? the UN? A certain country?

However, Koreans keep saying, "Korean comfort women were drafted by Japanese government." I think that is not true and they have never showed anything to support their allegation.

The problem is that you are asking for a documented proof of a crime, and refuse to acknowledge hundreds of testimonies of victims labeling it slander and fabrication.

Some women were drafted into labour and then assigned to 'comfort stations' against their will, some were plainly kidnapped, some were tricked.

There are hundreds of testimonies you can listen to right now, but to you they were nothing more than 15 year old willing prostitutes so I suppose you won't change your mind until someone produces a Japanese government documentation on kidnapping and sex slavery.

Readers, please do not get fixated on the issue of comfort women. That is not what this story is about. The money is earmarked for women in Africa.

This is a little like one of those spoof "Global Criminal Mastermind" movies where the villain demands a million dollars..... One million dollars!!!!??? Surely he must realise that is ridiculous.

that's not even a drop in a bucket. it's more like a drop in a dam. why would japan give such a small amount?

It's a drop in the ocean.

that's not even a drop in a bucket. it's more like a drop in a dam. why would japan give such a small amount?

Enclosed will be a note that states an old Japanese proverb: "Better than nothing".

ricky- and how much have you given to the cause? honestly, there are plenty of other things this money could have gone to domestically...

$1m,is it for one person or for the whole comfort women?.$1m is too small to compensate them for the injury and uncomfort they suffered by that time.****

EberesonSep. 19, 2013 - 12:29PM JST

$1m,is it for one person or for the whole comfort women?.

It is for African women.

Tokyo will earmark nearly 100 million yen in the fiscal 2014 budget for the fund, which mainly provides assistance to those affected by war in Africa.

A million dollars, wow that will go a long way....

Don't worry folks, Japan will eventually come to terms with history when the playing field has been leveled off.

What war are they referring to? What was Japan's involvement? We don't get much news about Japan here so I'm lost.We are aware of sex trafficking, but China is a main focus not Japan or Korea.

I am noticing a pattern- even when being "open and upfront" leaders are avasive.

Abe should be earmarking the money for proper money the Japanese before giving it away to Africa...

Mitch CohenSep. 19, 2013 - 09:27AM JST “comfort women,” a euphemism for women from Korea and other parts of Asia drafted into sexual slavery." "That's actually incorrect. Comfort Women is a euphemism for Military Prostitutes. And as such they were paid, which slaves are not." Claims of sexual slavery by Japan was made by Korea, China, Philippines, Netherlands, Indonesia, Malaysia and the >list goes on. So you believe the whole world is telling the same lie, and only a handful of Japanese politicians and ultra->nationalist are telling the truth?

That's right "mitch". There is overwhelming evidence that the military prostitutes in he comfort women system were paid. In fact there was a pay scale. Read the US Army Report No.49. The "List" does not go on as you believe, the only proven act of abduction and coercion involved Dutch Women in Indonesia which was tried at the Tokyo War Crimes Trials. The bulk of the "kidnapping" and "no-pay" arguments come from individual testimony, which in the case of South Korea was deemed "unreliable" by a South Korean examination done in that country. "Sex Slaves" is a term that was created later and now has many believing that the all comfort women were not paid and "literally" slaves. This simply is not true. The vast majority were part of an orderly organized system which included payroll and benefits. That is an entirely different issue from how they were recruited.

so this would be paid to Africa, how would this be handled then. and what wrong in Africa? i think there are quite a few questions that are not quite answered. looks like Japan also involves in Africa during WWII.

kuukuSep. 20, 2013 - 12:13AM JST so this would be paid to Africa, how would this be handled then. and what wrong in Africa? i think there are quite a few >questions that are not quite answered. looks like Japan also involves in Africa during WWII.

You know it's really not very hard to use google.

"U.N. agencies estimate more than 40,000 women were raped during Liberia’s civil war from 1989-2003, as many as 60,000 in the former Yugoslavia during the early 1990s, and at least 200,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 1998"

http://www.voanews.com/content/un-strengthens-fight-against-wartime-rape/1688274.html

Addressing violence is a honourable objective. But please, Abe-san, keep a few yens to address violence by sport coaches in Japan too.

You know it's really not very hard to use google.

u'r right, am just bc with alot more important things, thanks for providing the answer.

looks like Japan is giving out huge amount of aid to distant lands. good on the receiving end, and hope it serve the purpose it really mean't to serve.

The irony of the Abe administration giving aid against sexual violence. What are they hoping to reap in the process of this superficial act? Gain extra points in international standing? If they really took the issue seriously they should address sexual violence and sex slavery of poor immigrant women in their own country. Namely the women from poorer south east Asia in Japan. Disappointing

Abe should use the money for women in Japan. Japan’s legal systems relating to rape and indecent assault remain common with gender bias. This gender bias affects the way that society understands sexual assault as well as the stages of the legal system. The legal profession in Japan needs to reconsider the ways in which it understands sexual assault to place more emphasis on the victim’s point of view. If this is done, more victims will feel supported by a legal system that takes their suffering seriously, and that they will be more ready to report attacks. Without this fundamental change in perspective and a conscious effort to get rid of gender bias, legal reform will have a limited impact.

And 99% of this staggering amount of money will go to... administrative expenses.