U.S. Experts Challenge Abe View of ‘Comfort Women’
12:40 pm JST
Oct 7, 2014
By YUKA HAYASHI
Four U.S. experts have weighed in on the debate over whether erroneous reporting by the Asahi newspaper over “comfort women”–women forced to serve Japanese soldiers at wartime brothels–damaged Japan’s international reputation.
The experts said now-discredited testimony by a Japanese man named Seiji Yoshida, who said he had helped abduct Korean women for sexual slavery, didn’t influence U.S. views of the issue. In August, Asahi withdrew articles from the 1980s and 1990s that had cited the testimony.
The four experts–Dennis Halpin of John Hopkins University, Mindy Kotler of Asia Policy Point, Mike Mochizuki of George Washington University and Larry Niksch of the Center for Strategic and International Studies–were involved in drafting a 2007 resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. The resolution said Japan “should formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Forces’ coercion of young women into sexual slavery.”
Some politicians and conservative media outlets in Japan have said that if it weren’t for the Asahi’s mistaken reporting, international criticism of Tokyo over the comfort-women issue might have been less harsh. The 2007 resolution added to the political hardship of Shinzo Abe during his short-lived first term as prime minister.
Mr. Abe, who returned as prime minister in December 2012, said last week that he intended to uphold Tokyo’s past apology to victims of the military’s forced sexual service, but he repeated his recent criticism of Asahi’s reporting.
“It is true that erroneous reporting that Japan as a nation was involved in forced sex slavery has damaged our honor around the world,” Mr. Abe said at parliament Friday. “We need to continue stating facts persistently.”
The U.S. experts said the prime minister was overestimating Asahi’s role. A careful look at the facts, they said, “will refute the view of the Japanese history revisionists and the Abe Administration that the Yoshida memoir, as reported by the Asahi Shimbun, colored all understanding of the comfort women tragedy.” They added, “We are further troubled that the Abe Administration appears to adhere to this view.”
The experts’ statement was first published in the Nelson Report, a Washington newsletter on East Asian affairs. It focused on a Sept. 11 full-page article in the Mainichi Shimbun, another liberal-leaning Japanese daily. Mainichi said briefing materials prepared for members of Congress before the 2007 resolution cited the Yoshida memoir.
The U.S. experts said Mainichi interviewed them but didn’t reflect their view that the Yoshida memoir and Asahi’s reporting weren’t factors in the drafting or defense of the House resolution.
A Mainichi spokesman said the company planned more coverage of the topic. That coverage will reflect its reporters’ conversations with the Washington experts, he said.
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[Jamawns' comment]
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It affected a lot!
Revised U.S. resolution 121 report removed Yoshida’s perjury on April 3 2007 but its public hearing on Feb 25 2007 was based on the Yoshida’s perjury.
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Basic 13 questions about comfort women issue related with Japan.
(1)What Korean men were doing if their wives or daughters were abducted for sex slaves? Why did NOT those men defend women and protest against criminals?
(2)Mayors of ALL villages in Korea were ALL Korean, NO EXCEPTION.
What were mayors doing if so many women in their towns were abducted, raped and to be forced sex slaves?
(3)The military police in Korea who clamp down military soldier’s misconduct were ALL Korean, NO EXCEPTION because Korean language was necessary for duty.
What Korean military police were doing if Japanese military in Korea came to a village and took women?
(4)About 40% of governors of prefectures (equivalent to state in the U.S.) were Korean.
What were Korean governors doing if so many women in their prefectures were abducted, raped and to be forced sex slaves?
(5)There was a Korean lawmaker of the House of Representatives in Tokyo.
What was he doing and why didn’t he complain if so many women in Korea were abducted, raped and to be forced sex slaves?
(6)There were many Korean members of the House of Loads. Their power was so strong and cannot be compared to current member of the House of Council (Similar to the U.S. Senators).
Why didn’t they say anything if so many women in Korea were abducted, raped and to be forced sex slaves?
(7)There were so many Korean dukes and counts as Nobleman.
What were they doing if so many women in Korea were abducted, raped and to be forced sex slaves?
(8)Furthermore, there were so many Korean in the Japan’s imperial family. They were Yi imperial family whose rank was higher than Japan’s crown prince. The rank was (1) Japanese emperor, (2) Yi imperial family, (3)Japan’s crown prince.
Why didn’t they complain if so many women in Korea were abducted, raped and to be forced sex slaves?
(9)Just after the Asia-Pacific war, Syngman Ree came back from the U.S. He started anti-Japan campaign in the fierce manner. He started to demand money for Korean People who fought for Japan. Notwithstanding, Syngman Ree did not mention comfort women at all, even a word. Why?
(10)Toward the Japan-Korea Basic Relation Treaty in 1965, both Japan and Korea had negotiated for 14 years. During 14 years, Korean government did not mention comfort women at all, even a word. Why?
(Here, a disclosed confidential document mentioned that South Korea had explained Comfort Women issues to Japan and settled it on the treaty.)
(11)From 1965 to 1991 for 26 years, Korean government and Korean mass media did not mention comfort women at all, even a word. Why?
(12)The person started abduction story was Japanese. The abduction story was fabricated by a Japanese, Seiji Yoshida. Later he admitted his fabrication. Also, Cheju Newspaper in Korea, August 14, 1989 had revealed“Coerced comfort women by Japan is fiction” U.N. Coomaraswamy report E/CN.4/1996/53 in 1996 and United States House of Representatives proposed House Resolution 121 in 2007 were based on such Seiji Yoshida’s perjury. Revised U.S. resolution 121 report removed Yoshida’s perjury on April 3 2007 but its public hearing on Feb 25 2007 was based on the Yoshida’s perjury.
Why does Korea still want to stick the Yoshida’s perjury?
(13)Korea accepted the apology of Kono DANGO but still require further apology. Therefore, Japan tried to review Kono DANGO due to insufficient. However Korea criticized Japan in order not to review the Kono DANGO.
Why does Korea criticize making the past to be recognized honestly and fairly and to be accounted clearly?
Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and people in Sakhalin were considered as people evenly protected/embraced by Japanese Emperor. If Korean women and children were taken forcibly to be sex slaves, Emperor Showa would never have allowed that.
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Dear the four experts
I expect you answer my very basic questions.
Comfort women are not sex slaves as the same as soldiers are not bloodthirsty killers.
The word ‘sex slaves’ humiliates comfort women’s pride as the same as the word ‘bloodthirsty killers’ does solders’ honor. Such wording obviously mislead real features.
I hope you study very hard.
Comfort women dedicated to raise soldiers’ morale and spirits, and to prevent rape crimes in countries. Comfort woman earned monthly income as much as soldier’s annual income. Dedication of comfort woman was priceless as same as dedication of soldier was precious. Duty of comfort women was horrible such as extraordinary repeating prostitution, while duty of soldier was cruel such as murder.
I tell comfort women are not sex slave case.
Comfort women earned as much as soldiers’ lifetime income only for 3.5 years.
If a large poor family had a member who became comfort woman, her family could live on without worrying money any more.
On the other hand, there are 100,000 Korean prostitutes world wide today. They usually have bad loans whose interest rate is 40-300%. It is obvious that such super-high interest rate loan can’t be repay forever.
I tell another case.
White people hunted black African people as non-human animals and took them to the new world as slaves.
Black women were often treated as sex slaves for masters.
On the other hand, Imperial Japan did not systematically implement forced recruitment and management. Imperial Japan outsourced the leisure house called comfort house and Korean merchants recruited women by advertisement in newspaper. (*)
Now, you can realize both what is the real ‘sex slaves’ and that the word was created in order to mislead world citizens against Japan by anti-Japan racists.
(*)
According to Park Yu-ha, professor of Sejong University in Seoul, Most of such crimes as kidnap and coerced recruitment had been mainly implemented by Korean merchants, and Koreans seem to have attempted to blind such crimes by transferring into anti-Japan racism.
For example,
Four headed by Korean are arrested due to kidnapping 18 girls from whole Korea, -Osaka Asahi Newspaper, March 1 1938.
-General investigation against kidnapping are implemented in Seoul, Osaka Asahi Newspaper, March 30 1938
-Korean fake police kidnapped wealthy housewife, Osaka Asahi Newspaper, May 21 1940.
-77 Korean dishonest business agencies kidnapping girls are arrested, Osaka Asahi Newspaper, November 21 1939.
-11 Korean dishonest business agencies kidnapping 14 girls under the hardships of life are arrested, Osaka Asahi Newspaper, June 28 1940.
-Korean dishonest business agency kidnap girls searching for job in spring season (graduate season), The Dong-a Ilbo (Korean newspaper), March 15 1936
-Police agency comes to grips with improvement of labor conditions for Korean comfort women, Osaka Asahi Newspaper, June 25 1940.
-Korean dishonest business agency human-trafficking under 16 girls is arrested, The Dong-a Ilbo (Korean newspaper), May 5 1933.
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Dear the four experts.
I am willing to discuss comfort women issue with you as you challenged Japanese viewpoints.
MOST IMPORTANT is that “COMFORT WOMAN IS NOT SEX SLAVE.”
I am waiting for your reply because Nelson Report and The Point do not accept any comment.
I am here.
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>Tetsu
Can you explain in detail and show primary sources unless you perjure.
> the four experts
I am here.
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For English speakers,
ヘンリー・S・ストークス氏著『英国人記者が見た連合国戦勝史観の虚妄』
“Henry Scott-Stokes’s Views on the History and Issue of Comfort Women ”
https://www.facebook.com/notes/comfort-women-sex-slaves-cwss/henry-scott-stokess-views-on-the-history-and-issue-of-comfort-women/1693227967569506
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[Link Updated.]
For English speakers,
ヘンリー・S・ストークス氏著『英国人記者が見た連合国戦勝史観の虚妄』
“Henry Scott-Stokes’s Views on the History and Issue of Comfort Women ”
http://goo.gl/0vddDQ
----------------------------------
[Revised Link Updated.]
For English speakers,
ヘンリー・S・ストークス氏著『英国人記者が見た連合国戦勝史観の虚妄』
https://attachment.fbsbx.com/file_download.php?id=746256652108398&eid=ASsbzUbWNn3BxEiQlE-yOEtXTZzVHy-tXRc43VPWUFYw8QoJTLbhOuX08Aexl18NDCc&inline=1&ext=1414492403&hash=ASvtR2GaR8g7ITK2
Dear the four experts
I am here.
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[Another link on the upper stair]
ヘンリー・S・ストークス氏著『英国人記者が見た連合国戦勝史観の虚妄』
“Henry Scott-Stokes’s Views on the History and Issue of Comfort Women ”
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CWnotSS/1695909483968021/
