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Comfort Women What do you think?

Which side do you believe regarding the "Comfort Women" issue?


  • Total voters
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I get the feeling that the women really just want the truth out and that people know what really happened. They want their suffering validated, for people to know what they went through in the war. Too much war is seen through the eyes of soldiers, and their sacrifices....women have long suffered the atrocities of war in shame and silence...

It is always women and children that suffer the most in wartime, that is the biggest atrocity imo.

To have the current government admit openly the fact that it happened would open it up for calls for compensation against them for the past atrocities. It is a damned if you do, damned if you don't type of stituation.

I can understand the government wanting to put this issue behind itself and move forward but until there is an official accounting and openness about the topic it will forever haunt Japanese Administrations in the future as well.
 
You are very correct in saying this, the current Japanese Government is not guilty of committing these crimes.

Enough said!

You know...the more posts that I read by you the more you sound like a previous poster on the forum who was...well lets just say dismissed due to many of his posts.
 
on compensation:

That a given society allowed for such a power structure to form (that of fascist Japanese imperialism) that committed such crimes.
Why should not this society, those with power, both political power and those whom they represent $$, why shouldn't they be held accountable. Numerous people had war crimes tribunals (however unbalanced those tribunals may or may not have been). Recent years in reference to historic Nazi Germany, compensation of some sort was still being taken care of. (personally, I think any corporation dealing in slave labor should have their corporate charter revoked, i.e. the legal license that allows it to exist. -there are some corps around today, since slavery is actually more pervasive today than ever -)

Maybe the corporations that exist now that are some reformation from those that existed then (zaibatsu) should be drained of their yen for the compensation money? It has too widely been dispersed since then and mixed throughout society? Then maybe back to the general tax fund which would draw the money more fairly from the society of today that benefits from yester year. Provided there actually is a progressive tax structure that taxes the most those that benefit the most from society.
 
This should make some of you happy:
Japan's leader says sorry to WWII 'comfort women'
I suspect that this still will not be enough, as it is not an official apology issued by the government of Japan. Nor is there any monetary gain for the victims.

I hope that PM Abe will finally express himself as clearly as former PM Koizumi did in this letter of apology: (Issues regarding History):

"
Letter from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to the former comfort women

The Year of 2001

Dear Madam,

On the occasion that the Asian Women's Fund, in cooperation with the Government and the people of Japan, offers atonement from the Japanese people to the former wartime comfort women, I wish to express my feelings as well.

The issue of comfort women, with an involvement of the Japanese military authorities at that time, was a grave affront to the honor and dignity of large numbers of women.

As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my 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.

We must not evade the weight of the past, nor should we evade our responsibilities for the future.

I believe that our country, painfully aware of its moral responsibilities, with feelings of apology and remorse, should face up squarely to its past history and accurately convey it to future generations.

Furthermore, Japan also should take an active part in dealing with violence and other forms of injustice to the honor and dignity of women.

Finally, I pray from the bottom of my heart that each of you will find peace for the rest of your lives.

Respectfully yours,

Junichiro Koizumi
Prime Minister of Japan
"
 
What more is needed to say then if these apologies are already out there? Don't misunderstand me, these women were wronged, but what is it that they expect?

What do those of you who support these women expect? Atonement? In what manner? And when will enough be enough?
 
What more is needed to say then if these apologies are already out there? Don't misunderstand me, these women were wronged, but what is it that they expect?
What do those of you who support these women expect? Atonement? In what manner? And when will enough be enough?
There has been apologies, yes. However, if the ruling prime minister starts doubting the historical facts and figures, I can understand these victims feel a deep pain all over again. It seems warranted to ask for clarification in that sense.

Also, there hasn't been any compensation for these women from the Japanese government. An independent foundation of some sort was founded indeed to compensate these women, but nothing that is a official embodiment of the Japanese government. Many victims have therefore rejected to accept these compensations, because it is not simply money that they are after, but rather recognition.
 
An independent foundation of some sort was founded indeed to compensate these women, but nothing that is a official embodiment of the Japanese government. Many victims have therefore rejected to accept these compensations, because it is not simply money that they are after, but rather recognition.


But I doubt that they would settle for mere recognition without compensation. Funny how money automatically makes people feel better!
 
This should make some of you happy:
Japan's leader says sorry to WWII 'comfort women'

I suspect that this still will not be enough, as it is not an official apology issued by the government of Japan. Nor is there any monetary gain for the victims.

You are right it isn't enough, not when followup administrations make statements to the effect that it never happened the complaints will continue on.
Look Japan paid war reparations for injustices committed during WWII to numerous countries in Asia, however this issue didn't come to light until much much later. Japan does have the resources to pay these women even a tolken amount of money, it's not like asking to squeeze blood from a stone.

But I doubt that they would settle for mere recognition without compensation. Funny how money automatically makes people feel better!

Actually you are wrong here, if you read some of the information on the web sites included through links on this thread many of the women were offered compensation through the Asian Women's Fund but refused the money because it wasn't directly from the Japanese Government.

Seems to me at least that they felt the issue was being swept under the rug and they didn't stand for it. Hooray for them, that tells me it is the principle of the matter and not the money that is motivating them.

Tell me then, since you obviously think that the apologies of the past should be enough, which I must admit I also thought so as well, I even wrote a post similar to that on a different thread here, and until I started doing more research on the subject why does the current Japanese Administration act as if it never happened? Why is it not accepted policy that the these women were wronged? Why does the government continue to muddy the waters with ambigious statements like PM Abe's?

It's similar to the people running around making claims that the holocaust never happened either. Everybody else "knows" it happened but growing numbers of people are not quite so sure. Because they never lived through it or the era, and if you hear something enough times you begin to believe it's true, and the longer time goes on, the easier it is to sweep things under the rug, as there are no longer any witnesses alive.

Japan has a rather bad habit recently of trying to rewrite how history occured, and the comfort women issue is just one part of that revisionist view of how events during WWII happened.

If the government openly admits and makes it policy for further generations as well, with or without compensation, opens any "secret" files it may or may not have, it's not like there is a freedom of information act here, tells the world openly and not just through letters, then maybe after a firestorm of complaints about why so late, maybe then the issue could hopefully be put to rest.
 
But I doubt that they would settle for mere recognition without compensation. Funny how money automatically makes people feel better!
It is indeed. However, they wish money from the government, and not just random money donated by some non-governmental institution. Personally, I don't like the idea of having to ask for compensation in the form of money either, but it seems like a very common thing to do.. 😌
 
Though there is not evidence to insist on a crime, you force a crime on us.
It will be a false accusation.
You should show evidence if you insist on our crime.
 
It is indeed. However, they wish money from the government, and not just random money donated by some non-governmental institution. Personally, I don't like the idea of having to ask for compensation in the form of money either, but it seems like a very common thing to do.. 😌

A compensation of $ 20 000 was given by President Reagan in 1989 to each Japanese who was interned during WWII. It were the Japanese who asked for this compensation from the American government.
The San Francisco Treaty forbade us Pows and citizens who were all interned during WWII by the Japanese to ask one penny from Japan.
That is were the compensation idea comes from since 1989.
 
A compensation of $ 20 000 was given by President Reagan in 1989 to each Japanese who was interned during WWII. It were the Japanese who asked for this compensation from the American government.
The San Francisco Treaty forbade us Pows and citizens who were all interned during WWII by the Japanese to ask one penny from Japan.
That is were the compensation idea comes from since 1989.

:eek:

1951
However, Japan paid 10000000 dollars to the Netherlands.
In addition, the Japanese government paid about 20000 dollars per one in 1990.
 
It is indeed. However, they wish money from the government, and not just random money donated by some non-governmental institution. Personally, I don't like the idea of having to ask for compensation in the form of money either, but it seems like a very common thing to do.. 😌

Actually it seems as though it is the Japanese way. If you wrong someone, then you apologize and offer a payment to show your regret. I don't agree with that particular custom.
 
Did the Netherlands apologize to people of Africa and an Asian former colony?
Did the Netherlands compensate people of a former colony?
I don't know about monetary compensation, but the Dutch government has apologized for their part in the slave trade and also of colonization several countries. This was a issue a few year back I believe..
 
:eek:
1951
However, Japan paid 10000000 dollars to the Netherlands.
In addition, the Japanese government paid about 20000 dollars per one in 1990.

So far individuals who have claimed compensation have been rejected:

BBC News | Asia-Pacific | Japanese court rejects Dutch PoW claim

"Monday, November 30, 1998 Published at 07:48 GMT


World: Asia-Pacific

Japanese court rejects Dutch PoW claim

A Tokyo court has rejected a claim for compensation by eight former prisoners of war from the Netherlands against the Japanese Government.
The Dutch prisoners were forced into slave labour during World War II. One woman in the case had been forced to act as a prostitute for Japanese soldiers.
The judge said the court acknowledged that the plaintiffs had endured "abusive treatment and other sufferings ... while they were under detention, which amounted to violation of international law".
"But Japanese courts do not allow individuals who have suffered to demand damages from the state," he said.

Similar ruling
A similar ruling was made last week in a case brought by another group of former prisoners, several of them British.
Like the Dutch veterans, they were each seeking $22,000 (£13,500) compensation for the suffering they endured in Japanese PoW camps.
In that ruling, the judge did not acknowledge the plaintiffs' ordeal.
One of the eight Dutch veterans, Gerard Jungslager, said the court's decision was "regrettable", and that they would be lodging an appeal.
But he said the recognition of their suffering by the court was "a first step in the right direction".
The Japanese Government contends that all compensation claims were settled under the San Francisco peace treaty of 1951
One of the lawyers representing the Dutch group, Takashi Miimi, said the ruling was the first such case in which a Japanese court admitted the troops' behaviour violated international law."
 
Actually it seems as though it is the Japanese way. If you wrong someone, then you apologize and offer a payment to show your regret. I don't agree with that particular custom.

Actually, it's not particularly Japanese, or even Asian.
What about the Holocaust industry in the West?

ttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/619610.stm
ttp://zmagsite.zmag.org/oct2002/akram1002.htm
 
Actually, it's not particularly Japanese, or even Asian.
What about the Holocaust industry in the West?
ttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/619610.stm
ttp://zmagsite.zmag.org/oct2002/akram1002.htm

But as CC1 wrote it is a part of Japanese culture, very much so, I have been on the receiving end of it as well. Depending on the severity of the "wrong-doing" the amount of money offered varies as well.

If you wrong someone, then you apologize and offer a payment to show your regret. I don't agree with that particular custom.

Depending on what the "wrong" is I don't see any problem with it, it is similar to punitive damages in the US. I agree that there should be a ceiling, and at least here the amount is not set by a judge or jury.
 
Did the Netherlands apologize to people of Africa and an Asian former colony?
Did the Netherlands compensate people of a former colony?

I think I understand where you are coming from with this statement, however why is it necessary to equal one with the other?

Does one justify the other? You apologize first for your "mistakes" then we'll apologize after. Nothing will ever get accomplished, it comes across to me like a couple of kids in the principal's office arguing about who threw the first punch.

For arguments sake only here let's say the Netherlands, or any country for that matter, does apologize for any crimes it committed during their colony period would you then see fit to change your opinion and have the the Japanese Government pay compensation to the "comfort women"?

Let's just have all countries in the world get together for one big apology and compensation summit for "crimes" committed throughout history then all this tit for tat comparison junk could be finally put to rest.

Only problem with that is noone could "agree" on anything, to me at least it comes to the point where I am going to have to agree to disagree with the people on this thread about the comfort women issue.
 
Does one justify the other? You apologize first for your "mistakes" then we'll apologize
👍
I think A ordinary country is so....
so is Japan
However, they say that reflection(introspection) is insufficient when some problems occur.
they say"Show the sincere introspection . "
in the Yakuza world, it is money...
And, it is likely to demand an apology again. And, it is eternal.
This is a diplomatic issue.
This diplomatic card is very effective.
you should read what sinoceterism is ,again.
your idea is like Yakuza Idea....
 
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