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ghostrider
Joined: 27 Jun 2011
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 Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:23 am Post subject: Statue of Comfort Woman Erected Outside of Japanese Embassy |
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"For them and for many other Koreans, the statue � placed so that Japanese diplomats see it as they leave their embassy � carries a clear message: Japan should acknowledge what it did to as many as 200,000 Asian women, mostly Koreans, who historians say were forced or lured into working as prostitutes at frontline brothels for Japanese soldiers.
The Japanese government�s main spokesman, the chief cabinet secretary Osamu Fujimura, called the installation of the statue 'extremely regrettable' and said that his government would ask that it be removed."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/world/asia/statute-in-seoul-becomes-focal-point-of-dispute-between-south-korea-and-japan.html?_r=2 |
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madoka
Joined: 27 Mar 2008
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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| Back around 92 (before this was a publicized issue) I attended a panel discussion with a couple of former comfort women and a guy who worked in a comfort camp when he was just a young Korean boy. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. It's one thing to simply read about what happened to these women. It's a blow to the gut to listen to their own words about getting kidnapped as mere 12-14 year old children, raped 25-30 times every day, watching their friends murdered, etc. Unfortunately, most have passed away. I applaud the survivors' courage in speaking out knowing the social ramifications. Frankly, I have absolutely no sympathy for the Japanese on this issue. |
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everything-is-everything
Joined: 06 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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So what's Japan to do?
The country already paid its reperations to South Korea in the 60s which the government at the time accepted.
Has Germany been continually forced to apologise for its crimes? |
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Reggie
Joined: 21 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:08 pm Post subject: |
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| The sex slaves of the Japanese Empire were freed in 1945. They need to move the statue to in front of the South Korean legislature building to address the sexual slavery of Korean women throughout South Korea and foreign lands in 2011. |
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Reggie
Joined: 21 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Are there a similar movements for the Korean men conscripted into the Japanese military during WWII? |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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| everything-is-everything wrote: |
So what's Japan to do?
The country already paid its reperations to South Korea in the 60s which the government at the time accepted.
Has Germany been continually forced to apologise for its crimes? |
Could you be any more ignorant?
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Official position of the Japanese government
The 1998 UN report stated their understanding of Japan's legal position regarding compensation:
"Until the early 1990s, the Japanese government denied the extent of its involvement in the creation of comfort stations and the abuses committed against women (comfort women). The Japanese government has made various apologies since the early 1990s. One very notable apology was made by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in July 1995 in which he specifically mentions the Japanese military�s involvement in crimes against comfort women. Though it has seemingly apologized repeatedly for these offenses, the Japanese government denies legal liability for the creation and maintenance of the system of �comfort stations� and comfort women used during World War II. The Japanese government has set up an Asia Women�s Fund which conveys Japan�s apologies for crimes committed against women during World War II through direct donations from the Japanese public. Despite this, according to the Japanese government, individual comfort women don�t deserve compensation." |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm more than fine with this statue. And I'm getting less and less thrilled by the name 'comfort women'. I think it softens too much the disgusting nature of the crime. |
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Munniko
Joined: 04 May 2011
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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So does this mean that we should build a statue representing the horrible treatment the Japanese gave the Okinawans in front of government buildings...and in front of US embassies for giving the islands to Japan as well?
I feel bad for these women and I agree that their voices should be heard, but I kinda wonder where you draw the line of what deserves a statue.
NOTE: I am not saying that this isn't something that should be made any less serious or unimportant and I do feel that, even as someone of "Japanese" decent, the Japanese government should face and own up to, but other governments should be forced to own up to their dark past as well. |
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everything-is-everything
Joined: 06 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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| pkang0202 wrote: |
| everything-is-everything wrote: |
So what's Japan to do?
The country already paid its reperations to South Korea in the 60s which the government at the time accepted.
Has Germany been continually forced to apologise for its crimes? |
Could you be any more ignorant?
| Quote: |
Official position of the Japanese government
The 1998 UN report stated their understanding of Japan's legal position regarding compensation:
"Until the early 1990s, the Japanese government denied the extent of its involvement in the creation of comfort stations and the abuses committed against women (comfort women). The Japanese government has made various apologies since the early 1990s. One very notable apology was made by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in July 1995 in which he specifically mentions the Japanese military�s involvement in crimes against comfort women. Though it has seemingly apologized repeatedly for these offenses, the Japanese government denies legal liability for the creation and maintenance of the system of �comfort stations� and comfort women used during World War II. The Japanese government has set up an Asia Women�s Fund which conveys Japan�s apologies for crimes committed against women during World War II through direct donations from the Japanese public. Despite this, according to the Japanese government, individual comfort women don�t deserve compensation." |
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Actually I am ignonorant on the subject, hence the question.
But Japan did pay South Korea reperations. So isn't it the responsibility of the ROK government to give compensation? |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Munniko wrote: |
| So does this mean that we should build a statue representing the horrible treatment the Japanese gave the Okinawans in front of government buildings...and in front of US embassies for giving the islands to Japan as well? |
Perhaps if the Okanawans wanted one, it'd be appropriate.
| everything-is-everything wrote: |
| But Japan did pay South Korea reperations. So isn't it the responsibility of the ROK government to give compensation? |
But if they deny it, how could it be covered under reparations? |
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cfile2
Joined: 28 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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| everything-is-everything wrote: |
| pkang0202 wrote: |
| everything-is-everything wrote: |
So what's Japan to do?
The country already paid its reperations to South Korea in the 60s which the government at the time accepted.
Has Germany been continually forced to apologise for its crimes? |
Could you be any more ignorant?
| Quote: |
Official position of the Japanese government
The 1998 UN report stated their understanding of Japan's legal position regarding compensation:
"Until the early 1990s, the Japanese government denied the extent of its involvement in the creation of comfort stations and the abuses committed against women (comfort women). The Japanese government has made various apologies since the early 1990s. One very notable apology was made by Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in July 1995 in which he specifically mentions the Japanese military�s involvement in crimes against comfort women. Though it has seemingly apologized repeatedly for these offenses, the Japanese government denies legal liability for the creation and maintenance of the system of �comfort stations� and comfort women used during World War II. The Japanese government has set up an Asia Women�s Fund which conveys Japan�s apologies for crimes committed against women during World War II through direct donations from the Japanese public. Despite this, according to the Japanese government, individual comfort women don�t deserve compensation." |
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Actually I am ignonorant on the subject, hence the question.
But Japan did pay South Korea reperations. So isn't it the responsibility of the ROK government to give compensation? |
No, Japan did not pay South Korea reparations. What Japan did what set up a monetary fund for its citizens to donate to. That money was then distributed to SOME of the victims. The important distinction to make here is that the money came from citizens NOT from the government.
The distribution of that money was clearly pretty racially motivated. Women in the Philippines, for example, received less money then women living elsewhere. Also, that fund has now been closed.
One little known fact about this problem that I think highlights the level of hypocrisy on the part of Japan is the Dutch "Comfort Women". There was a Dutch settlement in (I thiiiink ~not 100%) Indonesia. Those women were treated significantly differently than the women of Asian descent.
I watched a documentary about some of them receiving an acknowledgment and money. A rudimentary Google search tells me that an apology still hasn't been given but they were treated very differently.
Last edited by cfile2 on Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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everything-is-everything
Joined: 06 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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No I'm not talking about specific confort women reperations, but a huge lump sum of reperations in the 1960s.
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In January, declassified dossiers relating to the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty of 1965 opened the first old wound. It was
the first disclosure to the Korean public; it revealed that Seoul demanded US$364 million compensation for individuals who died, were injured or used as laborers during Japan's 35-year occupation on the Korean peninsula. Instead, the South Korean government received $800 million, in a combination of grants and low-interest loans, as reparations from Japan.
South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee agreed that after this payment, South Korean citizens would give up their right to make individual claims against the Japanese government. What the declassified documents revealed was that Park only paid out about 2.56 billion won ($251 million) to families killed by the Japanese and 6.6 billion won to owners of destroyed property. None of the thousands of South Koreans conscripted into the Japanese military and labor workforce received compensation.
The remaining money was earmarked for nation-building construction projects. Park's often-criticized vision of linking Seoul and Busan in the south by expressway became a reality. He poured money into developing infrastructure and heavy industry, especially his favored state-owned business, Pohang Iron & Steel, which later became Posco, one of the world's top steelmakers. |
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GL23Dg02.html |
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cfile2
Joined: 28 Jun 2010
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:09 pm Post subject: |
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| everything-is-everything wrote: |
No I'm not talking about specific confort women reperations, but a huge lump sum of reperations in the 1960s.
| Quote: |
In January, declassified dossiers relating to the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty of 1965 opened the first old wound. It was
the first disclosure to the Korean public; it revealed that Seoul demanded US$364 million compensation for individuals who died, were injured or used as laborers during Japan's 35-year occupation on the Korean peninsula. Instead, the South Korean government received $800 million, in a combination of grants and low-interest loans, as reparations from Japan.
South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee agreed that after this payment, South Korean citizens would give up their right to make individual claims against the Japanese government. What the declassified documents revealed was that Park only paid out about 2.56 billion won ($251 million) to families killed by the Japanese and 6.6 billion won to owners of destroyed property. None of the thousands of South Koreans conscripted into the Japanese military and labor workforce received compensation.
The remaining money was earmarked for nation-building construction projects. Park's often-criticized vision of linking Seoul and Busan in the south by expressway became a reality. He poured money into developing infrastructure and heavy industry, especially his favored state-owned business, Pohang Iron & Steel, which later became Posco, one of the world's top steelmakers. |
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GL23Dg02.html |
Sure, but you need to understand that this issue is less about money and more about receiving acknowledgment and an apology. If you talk to these women you'll find some of them don't even want the money. Some of them think it would be a bad thing to accept it.
Japan only recently acknowledged that a system of comfort houses even existed. They still deny any liability for it. It's very telling that through all of these protests the Japanese embassy has closed its blinds and shut its windows. |
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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:24 pm Post subject: |
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| everything-is-everything wrote: |
No I'm not talking about specific confort women reperations, but a huge lump sum of reperations in the 1960s.
| Quote: |
In January, declassified dossiers relating to the Korea-Japan Normalization Treaty of 1965 opened the first old wound. It was
the first disclosure to the Korean public; it revealed that Seoul demanded US$364 million compensation for individuals who died, were injured or used as laborers during Japan's 35-year occupation on the Korean peninsula. Instead, the South Korean government received $800 million, in a combination of grants and low-interest loans, as reparations from Japan.
South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee agreed that after this payment, South Korean citizens would give up their right to make individual claims against the Japanese government. What the declassified documents revealed was that Park only paid out about 2.56 billion won ($251 million) to families killed by the Japanese and 6.6 billion won to owners of destroyed property. None of the thousands of South Koreans conscripted into the Japanese military and labor workforce received compensation.
The remaining money was earmarked for nation-building construction projects. Park's often-criticized vision of linking Seoul and Busan in the south by expressway became a reality. He poured money into developing infrastructure and heavy industry, especially his favored state-owned business, Pohang Iron & Steel, which later became Posco, one of the world's top steelmakers. |
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/GL23Dg02.html |
Again, I ask - how could there be reparations for something that they don't admit to? |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:28 pm Post subject: |
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| cfile2 wrote: |
Sure, but you need to understand that this issue is less about money and more about receiving acknowledgment and an apology. If you talk to these women you'll find some of them don't even want the money. Some of them think it would be a bad thing to accept it.
Japan only recently acknowledged that a system of comfort houses even existed. They still deny any liability for it. It's very telling that through all of these protests the Japanese embassy has closed its blinds and shut its windows. |
Bingo. Individuals (Japanese politicians) have apologized but as a "government" the Japanese did not apologize. Couple that with the fact that Japanese textbooks wash over their actions in WW2, then you are beginning to see why Koreans have complaints against the Japanese.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." |
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