politics

Japan must do more for WWII 'comfort women': U.N. experts

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By Sam Yeh

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Well if the UN is going to play this silly game, Japan should cease all monetary contributions. It hasn't hurt the US any so why not.

9 ( +27 / -18 )

Butt out, UN, unless you’re willing to call out all who have or are doing it, including S. Korea and Middle Eastern countries.

13 ( +27 / -14 )

UN is a joke. Where are the Japanese women on the list ? Should they be compensated too ?

6 ( +15 / -9 )

I was on SK's side until 2015. Them the Japanese government made a full-on commitment to resolve the issue by coming to an agreement with SK that consisted of compensation and an official apology. Now that SK is rejecting that, it's their problem. If they feel that the 2015 agreement wasn't enough, then they need to be explicit as to what would be, since their government already made the agreement and Japan made the apology.

I feel sorry for the actual sex slaves, but not for the South Koreans who are still complaining about this.

17 ( +26 / -9 )

And here we go, yet again.

Grow up people.

14 ( +25 / -11 )

As far as I know, there is a joint working group by Japan govt, Chinese govt and South Korea govt to work on history teaching books. I hope they can accelerate their work to have standards for future Northeast Asians. Only Northeast Asians can resolve the issues, no others business.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Japan should do what America did......pull out of the UN Human Rights Council, The UN is joke,

12 ( +25 / -13 )

What I find interesting is that  U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has nothing about the fact that South Korea does not have a anti discrimination law nor has said nothing about China's record on human rights.

12 ( +23 / -11 )

Interesting that this comes right after they announced that China will overtake Japan as the second largest contributor to the UN.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

Having a poster/billboard with actual faces is more nuanced and sophisticated than most other protests that I have seen up to now.

Also with China getting active on this issue I feel that it has moved up a notch.

Not cooled down as Japan had hoped.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

I fail to understand why some people want to continue to live in the past. History is history archive it, learn from it and move on!

8 ( +13 / -5 )

What specifially is it that they want Japan to do? Why should the present generation have to be apologising and paying reparations for what a previous generation is alleged to have done?

8 ( +15 / -7 )

The UN should be dissolved.

6 ( +14 / -8 )

This is like a broken phonograph record, on and on. It seems this will never end.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What I find interesting is that U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has nothing about the fact that South Korea does not have a anti discrimination law nor has said nothing about China's record on human rights.

Wasn't it just last week that they said China is holding 1 million Uyghurs in a huge camp?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-45147972

Do some research next time.

7 ( +13 / -6 )

German model of contrition or bust!!

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

I don't think it's only China who are behind this.  No neighboring countries want to see a good relation between Japan and Taiwan, and Japan and SK.

2 ( +9 / -7 )

While strongly disputing the use of the term "sex slaves", he stressed that Tokyo had issued "its most serious apologies and remorse" to the women, including through "letters from successive prime ministers".

This playing with words refusing to call a spade a spade is one reason why Japan must never be forgiven. Another is lack of remorse. Japanese leaders have no remorse it's all lip service. Moriyuki Takada professor of Japanese at USC said Japanese have no conscience but do have shame. I think many old officials don't even have that. Maybe younger generations have changed that remains to be seen. I say let them erect all the statues & monuments of any size they like anywhere, it's their right. Japan should prohibit anti-Korean demonstrations and jail offenders, give credit to the many successful Koreans in Japan, publicize their real names, how many know Mas Ohyama, Rikidozan and many other athletes, celebrities and businesspeople were Korean, then maybe Koreans would start believing and we can move on.

-7 ( +9 / -16 )

Government doesn't really represent the people, only what they feel they should represent. How about 3-way talks between the two governments AND official representatives of these Korean women. Throw in the Japanese women. Chinese, etc. BTW, I don't think the North Korean women were ever included in these reparations.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Sorry, nobody believes pretty words any more, and what, 8-9 million US¥ would not even settle a single lawsuit in other countries these days.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

Bob: “I fail to understand why some people want to continue to live in the past. History is history archive it, learn from it and move on!”

August is national self-pity month in Japan: Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Yasukuni. The Japanese powers that be and those who follow them are not interested in “moving on” as far as Japan’s pains go. But when it comes to the atrocities Japan committed against other people, this country wants it all swept under the rug and fumes when the their victims are honored by statues or compensation. Amorality runs deep in this country.

-6 ( +7 / -13 )

He called on the country to "provide an official, unequivocal recognition of responsibility by Japan for serious human rights violations committed by its military against women and girls before and during World War II."

THIS, an official apology has NEVER been given, only insincere speeches & then a whole lot of running to yasukuni, remember abe's BS speech in the  US, then next day his wife ran to yasukuni!

Bob: “I fail to understand why some people want to continue to live in the past. History is history archive it, learn from it and move on!” 

Bob, in case you haven't notice Japan has learned next to NOTHING since WWII! So how can it possibly move on!?!?!?!  Hint, it CANT! But look at Germany light years ahead in this regard!

I would LOVE to see a Japan that could tell China and SKorea to SHOVE IT with regards to WWII but Japan CANT because it has done next to nothing, & NOTHING official wrt to WWII!

Japan is simply too stubborn to face the facts.

I feel REAL sorry for Japanese women who were sex slaves, TRY to imagine THEIR suffering & the ija & govt of the 30-40s treated Japanese like UTTER CRAP, no remorse there either! Pretty unbelievable actually

-9 ( +5 / -14 )

GWAug. 18  11:28 pm JST

He called on the country to "provide an official, unequivocal recognition of responsibility by Japan for serious human rights violations committed by its military against women and girls before and during World War II."

THIS, an official apology has NEVER been given, 

Why do people keep repeating the lie that an official apology has never been given?

"As Prime Minister of Japan, Prime Minister Abe expresses anew his most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women."

https://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2015/12/28/full-text-japan-south-korea-statement-on-comfort-women/

10 ( +13 / -3 )

I don't think it's only China who are behind this.

Because they're not the only country affected by Imperial Japan's forced sexual slavery, among many other things.

Why do people keep repeating the lie that an official apology has never been given?

Because people like you refuse to admit that it's insincere.

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

ThePBotToday  02:22 am JST

Why do people keep repeating the lie that an official apology has never been given?

Because people like you refuse to admit that it's insincere.

I don't see any evidence that it's insincere. Yasukuni has nothing to do with this issue. No J-politician has ever denied the existence of the Comfort Women System, although some have denied that false narrative of "200,000 kidnapped". Apologies and compensation have been made.

What evidence do you have that it's "insincere"? Has the Japanese military set up brothels since WWII ended? It's people like you who refuse to admit that the apology is sincere so they can keep the hatred alive and harp on this issue for all eternity.

The South Korean government has stated:

"The Government of the ROK values the GOJ’s announcement and efforts made by the Government of Japan in the lead-up to the issuance of the announcement and confirms, together with the GOJ, that the issue is resolved finally and irreversibly with this announcement,.."

Despite comments from Moon catering to the j-hating domestic audience, the SK government has upheld this agreement and chosen not to attempt to overturn it.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

I don't see any evidence that it's insincere. 

It's because you're refusing to look at easy to find facts:

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21226068

Especially read the last few paragraphs. Abe is on and off about revising the apology made. If it was really sincere, why would he and his administration even be on the fence about it? Even if it was to win some political points, clearly it's still not sincere. And it goes to show the good portion of the population in Japan, including the government, believes they've done nothing wrong, and that's by design.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Wrong. The Abe administration was considering retracting the 1993 Kono statement because it foolishly apologized for a false narrative that was based on originally on the fake stories written by Seji Yoshida and the Asahi Shinbun printed. That newspaper has subsequently admitted and apologized for printing a "fake story". Despite this the Abe administration has refrained from retracting the Kono Statement.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

 The Abe administration was considering retracting the 1993 Kono statement because it foolishly apologized for a false narrative that was based on originally on the fake stories written by Seji Yoshida and the Asahi Shinbun printed.

And considering to retract the entire apology, based on one guy that told a lie about his experience, shows sincerity of that apology??

You basically just admitted that Abe and crew thought that women being forced into sexual slavery didn't happen because of that one story, prompting them to believe that survivor's story must've been a bunch of lies too, a deeply held belief of theirs. Yes, sounds "sincerely apologetic" indeed.

Yet you're here saying that you see there's no evidence of insincerity.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1614619/seiji-yoshidas-lies-about-comfort-women-exploited-japans-right

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Your arguments still makes no sense. The Kono Statement was wrong because it apologized for something that was false. Remember that the existence of the Comfort Women System or that women suffered was never an issue. The argument that they were kidnapped, ie; coerced, was factually incorrect as proven by South Korean scholars and all existing documentary evidence. It was proven false later. Despite this, it was never retracted. So how does that translate into "insincerity"? Did you read the Abe apology from 2015? What about it is "insincere"?

And don't bother with the troll. The point, which is obvious to intelligent people, is that the article you linked harps on the lack of information in textbooks. I merely pointed out that is common in every country, a simple fact.

The problem with haters is that their agenda is to perpetuate hate, not resolve anything. To do so repetition of incorrect information is applied. Anyone who has read hte books by Pro Soh and Prof Park will see that the popular "Comfort Women narrative" is wrong. But haters such as yourself can;t be bothered to do so,

5 ( +8 / -3 )

The Kono Statement was wrong because it apologized for something that was false.

The Asahi article was shown to be false, but I've never seen anything that showed the Kono statement was based on the Asahi article.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Both the Governments of China, South Korea demand retribution, revenge,

These now frail comfort women plight and suffering has been cynically, politically weaponised to beat the people of Japan, through the generations to bow and submit to a legal obligation/responsibility that no Statute of the International Court of Justice would entertain.

Any attempts at reconciliation, atonement,.reparations have been subsequently dismissed as inadequate/insincere.

These aged comfort women deserve dignity, and respect.

Modern day Japan, government and people value genuine peaceful co existence with neighbours. Collectively recoil at past atrocities perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Army. Over 80% of the population were not born to this historically dark period.

I suggest an independent commission of historians and educators be entrusted to build a syllabus that could be sensitively, without the need to humiliate and shame, teach future generations the policy, politics of imperialism.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should not have attempted the process of reconciliation as a commodity one could construct as a deal "finally and irreversibly".....

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Modern day Japan, government and people value genuine peaceful co existence with neighbours. Collectively recoil at past atrocities perpetrated by the Imperial Japanese Army. Over 80% of the population were not born to this historically dark period.

And yet they still vote for the same government that makes the annual pilgrimage to remember the very same criminals that reigned terror upon other countries. Give me a break with this victimhood nonsense.

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Testimonies of the victims

http://www.awf.or.jp/e3/oralhistory-00.html

Kimiko Kaneda was born in Tokyo on 22 October 1921. Her father was a Korean and her mother was a Japanese. Just after her birth, she was taken over to the relatives of her father in Korea. Her father became a priest but he was arrested because of his disrespect toward Japanese shrines. When she was 16 years old, she went to Seoul for better employment on the recommendation of her friend who worked as housemaid for a Japanese family. Led by a Japanese, she was put on a train to go from Seoul to Tianjin, China, then from Tianjin via Peitan to Zaoqiang. There she was forced to be a comfort woman for the Japanese military. She was named Kimiko Kaneda. Later she moved to Shijiazhuang. 

In the comfort station in Shijiazhuang

When the soldiers came back from the battlefields, as many as 20 men would come to my room from early morning. That's why I had to have a hysterectomy (in my twenties). They rounded up little girls still in school. Their genitals were still underdeveloped, so they became torn and infected. There was no medicine except something to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and Mercurochrome. They got sick, their sores became septic, but there was no treatment.

The soldiers made Chinese laborers lay straw in the trenches and the girls were put in there. There was no bedding... underneath was earth. There was no electricity at that time, only oil lamps, but they weren't even given a lamp. They cried in the dark "Mummy, it hurts! Mummy, I'm hungry!" We wanted to go and give them our leftover food, but there were a lot of sick and disturbed people in the trenches. Some of them had TB. I was scared they might pull me in to the trenches, and I didn't want to go there. I could have gone if I had a lamp.

When someone died the girls got scared and began to cry. Then everyone in the trenches was poisoned and they closed up the trench. They dug another trench next to it.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Testimony of the victims

Not one women agrees the term 'comfort women' defines their ordeal

http://www.awf.or.jp/e3/oralhistory-00.html

 Testimony II Maria Rosa Henson (Philippines) 

Maria Rosa L. Henson was born in Pasay City on 5 December 1927. She was the extramarital daughter of a bid landowner and his housemaid. When she was 14 years old, the Pacific War broke out and the Philippines were occupied by the Japanese. In February 1942 she was first raped by Japanese soldiers. While she went to fetch firewood with her uncles and neighbors for her family, she was caught and raped by three Japanese, one of whom seemed to be an officer.. After two weeks she was again raped by the same Japanese officer, while fetching firewood. 

I was forced to stay at the hospital which they have made as a garrison. I met six women in the garrison after two or three days in the place. The Japanese soldiers were forcing me to have sex with several of their colleagues. Sometimes 12 soldiers would force me to have sex with them and then they would allow me to rest for a while, then about 12 soldiers would have sex with me again.

There was no rest, they had sex with me every minute. That's why we were very tired. They would allow you to rest only when all of them have already finished. Maybe, because we were seven women in the garrison, there were a fewer number of soldiers for each one of us.

But then, due to my tender age, it was a painful experience for me. I stayed for three months in that place after which I was brought to a rice mill also here in Angeles. It was nighttime when we were fetched to be transferred. When I arrived in the rice mill, the same experience happened to us. Sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening... not only 20 times. At times, we would be brought to some quarters or houses of the Japanese. I remembered the Pamintuan Historical House. We were brought there several times. You cannot say no as they will definitely kill you. During the mornings, you have a guard. You are free to roam around the garrison, but you cannot get out. I could not even talk to my fellow women two of whom I believed were Chinese. The others I thought were also from Pampanga. But then, we were not allowed to talk to each other.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Testimony III A Taiwanese victim 

She was born in Miaoli, Taiwan in 1930. She was taken to a garrison of the Japanese army in Taiwan and forced to provide sexual services to the Japanese men. After the war she kept silent about this fact even toward her husband for 50 years. In 1997 she became a recipient of the project of the AWF. 

  

At that time, my fiancée had been drafted by the Japanese military and sent to the south. I was helping my father's business at home. One day, the Japanese police called and told me to come because they had a job for me. They said that I would be preparing meals and mending torn clothes for the soldiers. I did not want to go, but the police said that all men and women must come because the country was at war then and that everybody must follow the General National Mobilization Law. So I went to work. I saw many Japanese soldiers. There were some other women like me, too. We got up in the morning, washed our faces and cooked breakfast to feed the soldiers. We washed their clothes and mended torn clothes. Then, at night, we were called and confined to a room. ...it was a terrible job. I was only weeping. In the daytime I sewed clothes and did the soldiers' laundry. It was easy. But at night I died. I was dying. I felt as if I was dead. I wished to flee away, but I did not know the way. Soldiers were standing at the gates. If you fled, you would be shot. I was too young. I did not know anything. I could not realize that I was pregnant. I began to throw up what I had eaten. Then a woman, who was with me, said that I was pregnant. In two months I had a miscarriage. Even now when I think about it, tears come to my eyes. Oh... I am sorry to make you hear such a terrible story.

I thought that my fiance had died, but long after the war he returned unexpectedly. We married. I could not tell that story to him. I have never told it to anyone. How can you tell such a thing? 

50 years passed. I came to know that there are people who had endured the same experiences. And I could not keep silent. I could not bear it any more. I told my husband. I bowed and begged him to forgive me. He was surprised and said that he had painful experiences during war, but you had also such painful experiences. There was nothing we can do about it. That was the war. Saying such, he forgave me. Hitherto I had always feared what my husband would do on knowing this story. I have thought and thought only about it. When I told this to my husband, I felt at ease. 

Now I am living with my husband, only the two of us. I can not work any more in farm, because I have pains in my knees. I grow vegetables a little and go to sell them. As we are old, we do not eat rice much. So we can live in this way. But we have no money. Our life is so hard.

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

Ohhhh macv thanks so much for the detailed testimonies. Im pretty sure the naysayers will be cautious about the next time they mutter nonsense like 'money was already paid'. If its alright with you, Ill save these for the next time another comfort women article pops up. Thanks again.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Hi, Wallace Fred, I do believe victims and perpetrators are clearly defined.

The question is reconciliation.

How do the people of Japan, the body politic, confront the impact of past military imperialist colonization of neighbouring counties, thus restoring, settle, amicability with an emphasis on the acceptance that the people have renounced domination through an aggressive belligerent militarist ideology.

I suspect the political continuity the ill deserving LDP ruling government seems to procure is a reflection of the reticence of 18/25 to pull there political weight and vote.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

How do the people of Japan, the body politic, confront the impact of past military imperialist colonization of neighbouring counties, thus restoring, settle, amicability with an emphasis on the acceptance that the people have renounced domination through an aggressive belligerent militarist ideology.

I mentioned this previously. Solution is the German model of total contrition. Nothing else.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

The German model of total contrition, is an illusion.......

AfD: What you need to know about Germany's far-right party

https://www.dw.com/en/afd-what-you-need-to-know-about-germanys-far-right-party/a-37208199

Local AfD leader's Holocaust remarks prompt outrage

https://www.dw.com/en/local-afd-leaders-holocaust-remarks-prompt-outrage/a-37173729

Wallace Fred the Afd are the official opposition in the Bundestag. Both Alexander Gauland, Alice Weidel are both politically savvy and unflappable.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

the Afd are the official opposition in the BundestagBoth Alexander Gauland, Alice Weidel are both politically savvy and unflappable.

And yet, the holocaust memorials will stand, punishment for the denial of the holocaust will stand. There will always be fringe elements. But they will never amount to anything as long as memorials stand.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Yeah, Japan has never made a single monument to the comfort women, and complain when others do.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Hi Strangerland, Education is the way forward.

Politicians, government are not able reconcile past atrocities.

There is a obsessive reasoning, stratagem, behind a need to demand moral restitution.

A separation between political atonement and a balanced exoneration indemnity. All to be weighted against culture and customs.

Japan has a uniqueness that is totally indistinguishable, I will never comprehend or fully understand the conformity.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Politicians, government are not able reconcile past atrocities.

Actually, in situations like this, it's ONLY politicians who can do it.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

A politician longevity is limited to a term of office. A respective mandate, an authority determined on a undertaking, a pledge to the electorate they represent.

Their is the rub, a conundrum. Finite, at least until the next election. All ostentatious party political pastiche.

Humble opinion, a commission chaired by Crown Prince Naruhito would or could be above political interference or incumbency, ultimately presenting there consultations/conclusions to the people.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The Kono Statement was wrong because it apologized for something that was false. Remember that the existence of the Comfort Women System or that women suffered was never an issue. The argument that they were kidnapped, ie; coerced, was factually incorrect 

Now I see your problem, well one of them, and it's that you're one of those people who believe girls and women in those "comfort stations" were just willing prostitutes that just got a little less than what they've bargain for.

So that, in turn, means that you believe that the Japanese government "sincerely" apologized for something that they didn't do.

Oh yeah sure, that doesn't make them want to retract it. /s

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

Wrong again Pbot. The South Korean scholars determined that the majority of the women in the Comfort System either willfully answered the recruitment, in which case the probability that they were already involved in the prostitution trade is high, or they were sold off by their families to settle debts and taken by Korean "middlemen" criminal elements or deceived into thinking they were to be employed in entertainment establishments or factories. A great many women ended up in Comfort Stations not of their own free will. This view coincides with a number of Japanese historians as well and is supported by documentary evidence in the US starting with US Army Report No.49 from 1944 which contains actual interrogation of Comfort Women.

So no, I do NOT believe that all the women were willing recruits. But I DO believe that the narrative that ALL the women were "kidnapped" by the IJA is complete nonsense, undocumented and logistically impossible to implement.

In 1993 Kono made a statement apologizing but accepted to South Korean narrative. In doing so it twisted the facts so people like you actually believe that Japanese troops in the middle of a losing war could go around kidnapping 200,000 women in front of the policemen in Korea who were all Koreans. Sure.

The apology itself has been sincere from the start and continues, as evidenced by Abe;s 2015 statement. Refusing to accept it as sincere is just an excuse to keep the issue going. There is no evidence of "insincerity".

4 ( +10 / -6 )

STOP CALLING THEM "COMFORT WOMAN" WOULD BE A GOOD START !

°

They were "war sex slaves". They were not willing prostitute. We all know what happens there. We have seen it numerous time in Asia and Africa. And for many, they were deported. There is no japaneese only world exception on that one.

This was war sex slaving crimes. When you have a gun on your head you do what you need to survive.

This is Japan who insisted to make it a collective matter and settlement. According to them, they were too numerous to make it an individual one. And this way, they avoid publicity.

Since there was a war and the contexte was war, and according to japan choice, we call them all : war sex slave. May be some were real prostitutes, but overall cases is "war sex slave". There was teen girls, their mothers, theirs sisters, theirs babies..... too many were just normal woman.

The truth is dirty so the fact there is no dirty glory is japan newspaper (or history books) shows censure.

°

NCM

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

I MAY ADD

°

And Japan could do too :

making it official in history books;

pursue people denying the truth about japan war sex slaving crime during WWII;

make sure the japan officials don't deny the right for asian women to speak about it and make memorials;

make sure japan don't ask to ban from international history and officials speech japan war sex slaving crime;

making a memorial and speeches condemning war sex slaving crime every years during an official commemoration in Asia or Japan.

stop giving to money to buy a silence that can't be bought, because this is world war sex slaving crime.

This is so nice to give money, but giving it in exchange of silence and forgiveness is a crime for everyone but an american lawyer in exchange of making his client a billionaire instead of state and states officials.

This is actually an american law that will probably change in a soon to be future because sex slave, and prostitution, and rape.... is a crime that merit prison.

... and we haven't talk about the mixed blood kids matter.

°

NCM

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Countries that do not want to solve this fabricated problem can forever extort money from Japan.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Japan should give compensation & respect to victims of its WW2 atrocities

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I mentioned this previously. Solution is the German model of total contrition. Nothing else.

I don’t recall Germany ever apologized nor compensated for their sex slavery, hence, there is no such thing as Solution for you.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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