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Comfort Women

I am glad that at least the English never shot a single Japanese. Thank heavens for this!!

Umm I think you may need to check up on your history a bit here. While the British did not have a large force in the Pacific during WWII there were definitely British Combatants and POW's during the war.

http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/British_Pacific_Fleet

That is a link to the British Pacific Fleet in WWII and they participated in a number of campaigns and battles as well.

This is a quote from Wikipedia about Britian's active service in the Pacific War.

Major actions in which the fleet was involved included the Jan 1945 carrier airstrikes on Japanese strategic oil targets in Palembang, Sumatra. These highly successful raids reduced oil production for the Japanese Navy. Later, in March 1945 in support of the invasion of Okinawa it had sole responsibility for operations in the Sakishima Islands. Its role was to suppress Japanese air activity, using gunfire and air attack, at potential Kamikaze staging airfields that would otherwise be a threat to U.S. Navy vessels operating at Okinawa. The carriers were subject to heavy and repeated kamikaze attacks, but because of their armoured flight decks, the British aircraft carriers proved highly resistant (unlike their U.S. counterparts), and returned to action relatively quickly. Subsequent studies, however, showed that serious damage had occurred to the ships' structure and modernisation was uneconomic.

In April 1945, the British 4th Submarine Flotilla was transferred to the major Allied submarine base at Fremantle, Western Australia, as part of BPF. Its most notable success in this period was the sinking of the heavy cuiser Ashigara, on June 8, 1945 in Banka Strait, off Sumatra, by HMS Trenchant and HMS Stygian. In July 1945 in the Singapore area, British midget submarine XE3 sank Japanese heavy cruiser Takao which settled to the bottom at it's berth and never went to sea again.

Battleships and aircraft from the fleet also attacked the Japanese home islands. The battleship King George V bombarded factories and other installations in the Tokyo area; meanwhile carrier strikes were carried out against land and harbor targets including, notably, the putting out of action of a Japanese escort carrier by British naval aircraft. The BPF would also have played a major part in a proposed invasion of the Japanese home islands, known as Operation Downfall, which was cancelled after Japan surrendered. The last naval air action in WWII was on VJ-Day when British carrier aircraft shot down Japanese Zero fighters.

Lt Robert Hampton Gray, a Canadian naval airman who piloted a Vought Corsair with No. 1841 Squadron FAA on HMS Formidable, was awarded the Victoria Cross, following his death in an attack on a Japanese destroyer at Onagawa Wan, Japan, on August 9, 1945.

Fighter squadrons from the fleet claimed a total of 112.5 Japanese aircraft shot down. No. 1844 Squadron FAA (flying Hellcats) was the top-scoring squadron, with 28 claims.

British Pacific Fleet - Wikipedia

Also please dont forget the Battle of Singapore early on in the war, the thousands also that died there and the thousands that died as POW's as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/remembrance/veterans/japan_pows.shtml

I am surprised a bit that you and Goldiegirl were unaware of this fact of history. The British suffered in some ways more than other allies in the Pacific purely because of the amount of time many were held in capativity. Many Japanese have made reconcilliation trips to England to express their sorrow over their treatment of the British held in the camps. It was also a very nasty, unthinkable existance that many of the British lived through that were held there.
 
Aso refuses to acknowledge that Japanese military forced women into prostitution.

NHK now reports that Aso regrets that US House of Representatives made a draft resolution regarding the "confort women". Instead of apologizing or even ackkowledging the crimes against women during WWII, he cotuter attacks. This arrogant attitute will no doubt be popular among the exterme right in Japan, but at the same time it will delay reconciliation or maybe even lead to further outcry among the victims and neighboring countries. I know that most Japanese are shameful because of the way the militay treated women in occupied areas. However, as long as Aso remains FM the outside world will think that the Japanese do not regret the war crimes committed during WWII.
:(
NHK:
"Aso expresses regret over US comfort women resolution
Foreign Minister Taro Aso has expressed regret over a US House draft resolution calling on the Japanese government to apologize to women who worked at brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War Two.
The House of Representatives held a hearing last Thursday on the draft resolution submitted in January.
It says the Japanese government should "formally acknowledge and apologize in a clear and unequivocal manner" for the former Japanese military forcing young women of Asia and the Pacific islands into prostitution.
On Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Aso was asked at the Lower House Budget Committee whether the Japanese military actually did what was written in the draft resolution.
Mr Aso responded that he is not in a position to acknowledge the matter. He said the draft resolution is extremely regrettable because it is not based on objective facts. "
 
Need the physical evidence.

Ms. Yi yongsu had changed her testimony at some interviews especially,
And she also said that "this was long time ago! i am confused!"
We need only the physical evidence from ex. comfort women and government
of china, korea, taiwan and phillipine. Only testimony of ex.comfort woman
have been too enough for us.
 
How many times does a government need to apologize for it's past wrong doings before people will let a subject die?

In my opinion people are not satisfied with just an apology but want some type of monetary compensation as well.
 
Obeika is right I think about the monetary compensation. The same thing is happening in the US with the whole issue of slavery. We can not hold responsible the people today for what happened in the past. I don't think a current government has any need to apologise for something they were not involved in. It really is meaningless, would there be any real sentiment or true feeling of remorse. I for one don't feel personal remorse for past history. I can feel sympathy, anger, but for remorse, no, I wasn't there.
 
Show The Physical Evidence

Japan has no compensation problem between any country.
<Compensation agreements>
1952: Taiwan, India (disclaimed the compensation)
1952: Cambodia (disclaimed the compensation)
1957: Raos (disclaimed the compensation)
1958: Indonesia
1959: Vietnam(South vietnam)
1962: Thai
1963: Myammer
1965: Korea(include North korea)
1967: Malaysia
1968: Singapore
1969: Micronesia
1977: Mongolia
ツ ツ ツ
Above agreements had been based on SF peace treaty and had signed.
All compensation problems had settled. Any claim for past have to be
asked own govenment.
Anyway, I want to say ex.comfort womem, china, korea, taiwan and
phillipine, SHOW THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. ONLY TESTIMONIES ARE TOO ENOUGH.

For your information, Korean government had not disclosed contents of
the Agreement between japan to the public untill 2005.
 
Obeika is right I think about the monetary compensation. The same thing is happening in the US with the whole issue of slavery. We can not hold responsible the people today for what happened in the past. I don't think a current government has any need to apologise for something they were not involved in. It really is meaningless, would there be any real sentiment or true feeling of remorse. I for one don't feel personal remorse for past history. I can feel sympathy, anger, but for remorse, no, I wasn't there.

I have no facts to base this opinion and want to clarify right off the top that this is purely conjecture on my part in this response.

In my opinion one of the biggest reasons this issue has resurfaced now is directly linked to Japan's economic status in the world as well. People think that now because Japan has the money and economic clout it can also afford to pay compensation to individual's for crimes committed during WWII.

If the Japanese economy was on par with a country like the Phillipine's or Viet Nam noone would be trying to make claims against it. Also I feel that in requesting another apology for crimes committed by it's predecessors the countries and individual's making these claims feel that they are strengthening their case in getting monetary compensation.

If the government chooses to apologize again, so be it, that is a decision the government needs to make. I don't think that it is within the rights of the US House of Representatives to be making a request like this, or even for that matter to bring it up in official discussions within the government.

To the House of Representatives in the US all I want to say to them is Pot-Kettle-Black, for all the crimes that the US is guilty of throughout it's own history and for pointing fingers at Japan
 
I know one of the poor ladies who was taken out of the camp where she was "living" with her mother in Central Java, during the Japanese occupation.
Most of these camps where we all had to stay during WWII because we are Dutch, were bad enough. But this poor lady, Ellen v.d.Ploeg, was taken away when she was a very young woman of 22 years old, to a special Home with several other Dutch women and girls, she was used day and night by many Japanese military. This happened in Semarang in Central Java, Indonesia.

Far more important than all the compensations in the world is the refusal of the acknowledgement of this crime by the PM from Japan, Shinzo Abe.

I am really sorry, I expected real diplomacy from him about WWII in the Far East. I am so disappointed.
 
I know one of the poor ladies who was taken out of the camp where she was "living" with her mother in Central Java, during the Japanese occupation.
Most of these camps where we all had to stay during WWII because we are Dutch, were bad enough. But this poor lady, Ellen v.d.Ploeg, was taken away when she was a very young woman of 22 years old, to a special Home with several other Dutch women and girls, she was used day and night by many Japanese military. This happened in Semarang in Central Java, Indonesia.
Far more important than all the compensations in the world is the refusal of the acknowledgement of this crime by the PM from Japan, Shinzo Abe.
I am really sorry, I expected real diplomacy from him about WWII in the Far East. I am so disappointed.

Elizabeth not wanting to sound arrogant or condescending here but I really would like to ask you how many PM's here in Japan have to "officially" apologize before the world, or particularly Asia, accepts it?

There is no denying what happened, yet why does the current PM have to apologize again for something that his ancestors did?

Way back in 1992 or 93 then PM Miyazawa, I think it was, issued an official apology to all countries concerned, doesn't that count for something?

How long does it have to go on?
 
Elizabeth not wanting to sound arrogant or condescending here but I really would like to ask you how many PM's here in Japan have to "officially" apologize before the world, or particularly Asia, accepts it?
There is no denying what happened, yet why does the current PM have to apologize again for something that his ancestors did?
Way back in 1992 or 93 then PM Miyazawa, I think it was, issued an official apology to all countries concerned, doesn't that count for something?
How long does it have to go on?

Actually PM Abe and FM Aso are now trying to suggest that the U.S. congressional resolution is not based on "objective facts".
As long at the political leaders in Japan tries to avoid admitting the crimes of the past, the issue will go on and on.
If the japanese leaders had followed the example of the German leaders who repeatedly and sincerely expressed remorse for the crimes committed during WWII, the past would be the past. Only by trying to avoid accepting guilt, the wounds of the past are cept fresh.

"Abe says no apology on comfort women
03/06/2007
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made clear Monday he will not offer a fresh apology on the wartime "comfort women" issue even if Japan is urged to do so by a U.S. congressional resolution.
"The resolution contains mistakes of fact," Abe told the Upper House Budget Committee when asked about his intentions.
The non-binding resolution calls on Japan to offer a formal apology for the Imperial Japanese Army's role in forcing Korean women and women of other nationalities to provide sex to Japanese soldiers in battlefields leading up and during World War II.
"Even if it is passed, it does not mean we will apologize," Abe said.
He said he basically stands by a 1993 government statement that acknowledged the military's role in forcing the women to work in wartime brothels.
The statement, by then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono, admitted the women were recruited through "coercion."
The statement offered the government's "sincere apologies and remorse."
Abe on Monday went on to say that "there was no coercion in such ways as military authorities bursting into homes and taking women out" to brothels.
He noted "there were cases in which brokers serving as middlemen in effect coerced them.
"So I think there was coercion in a broad sense."
Abe's remark last week that "there was no evidence" to prove coercion stirred a sharp backlash in South Korea and elsewhere.
The U.S. media widely reported it in connection with the proposed resolution.
Abe said the resolution "is not based on objective facts."
"It does not take into consideration the steps taken by the Japanese government so far, either," Abe said.
He said the government is making efforts to seek understanding of Japan's position "in response to moves by some members of Congress."
The chamber's budget committee started deliberations of the fiscal 2007 budget Monday after the Lower House approved it early Saturday.
"I do not think having a lengthy debate like this in the Diet is productive," Abe said when Toshio Ogawa of the opposition Minshuto (Democratic Party of Japan) raised the question about comfort women.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, meantime, Monday brushed aside concerns that Abe's remark last week indicated his intention to review the 1993 statement.
Some conservative forces are seeking a review.
Shiozaki took issue with those who said Abe's words were not consistent with the Kono statement.
"I think (the criticisms) were not based on appropriate understanding of the prime minister's words," he said.(IHT/Asahi: March 6,2007) "
 
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Comfortwomen

Elizabeth not wanting to sound arrogant or condescending here but I really would like to ask you how many PM's here in Japan have to "officially" apologize before the world, or particularly Asia, accepts it?
There is no denying what happened, yet why does the current PM have to apologize again for something that his ancestors did?
Way back in 1992 or 93 then PM Miyazawa, I think it was, issued an official apology to all countries concerned, doesn't that count for something?
How long does it have to go on?

Hi Obeiko,

The trouble is that Mr. Abe said that there was no proof whether these women and girls were forced to have sex or whether they had sex out of free will with the Japanese military overseas.
One cannot apologize for something you are not certain that it happened or didn't really happen.
Mr. Abe has his doubts about the comfortwomen, in his eyes they were willing to comfort the overseas Japanese army.
I say overseas, because I don't think that this sort of behaviour happened in Japan during WWII. People often behave different when they are outside their own country.

How long does it have to go on? This apologizing you mean?
Only the whole Japanese GOVERNMENT must apologize, not one or two or more ministers. Only then Japan will be accepted as a honest country.

I am also still waiting for an acknowledgement from a Dutch government to say that the Dutch government in London (Holland was occupied by Germany) declared war on Japan, 8 December 1941 without thinking about us ( 300 000 Dutch men,women and children) living in Indonesia. We were completely isolated from the rest of the world, everything could and did happen to us. We were left without any form of protection.

Australia had to be protected first, the former Dutch East Indies was not important and those 300 000 Dutch even less so.
Such is life.
 
I say overseas, because I don't think that this sort of behaviour happened in Japan during WWII. People often behave different when they are outside their own country.
Actually, in all fairness, I'm pretty certain that the Japanese government actually did do the same thing after the war, i.e., round up a bunch of Japanese nationals to "comfort" the American soldiers.
 
Actually, in all fairness, I'm pretty certain that the Japanese government actually did do the same thing after the war, i.e., round up a bunch of Japanese nationals to "comfort" the American soldiers.
There were also a sad story, bunch of orphans. Americans were not irresponsible dads, but they also adopted them as well.

Elizabeth van Kampen
Mr. Abe has his doubts about the comfortwomen, in his eyes they were willing to comfort the overseas Japanese army.
No, he does not think so.
 
The trouble is that Mr. Abe said that there was no proof whether these women and girls were forced to have sex or whether they had sex out of free will with the Japanese military overseas.
One cannot apologize for something you are not certain that it happened or didn't really happen.
Mr. Abe has his doubts about the comfortwomen, in his eyes they were willing to comfort the overseas Japanese army.
I say overseas, because I don't think that this sort of behaviour happened in Japan during WWII. People often behave different when they are outside their own country.

You are quite right, he should have kept his mouth shut. I reread the news articles about this most recent gaffe of the current PM and his cabinet.

I also now realize the reason for the timing as well, the private fund that was set up to compensate any women with claims against the Japanese government time limit runs out on March 31st of this year.

How long does it have to go on? This apologizing you mean?
Only the whole Japanese GOVERNMENT must apologize, not one or two or more ministers. Only then Japan will be accepted as a honest country

Sorry maybe I should have written it out fully instead of just writing PM. Then Prime Minister Miyazawa apologized, so as the head of the government he was at the time "the" Japanese government so his apology should have been enough.

Pipokun, please clarify what you mean here, because unless I am mistaken you are saying that American servicemen were not/are not being irresponsible by Fathering children and then leaving them behind as orphans.

I really hope that isn't what you are saying.

There were also a sad story, bunch of orphans. Americans were not irresponsible dads, but they also adopted them as well.
 
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May I say something personally?

If I had the same bad luck as many of the poor comfortwomen, (I stood in the line in January 1944 in Banyu Biru 10, but thank goodness I had a malaria attack at that same moment) I know that my life would have been completely different today. I would have felt a deep shame, a very deep sadness at the same time. It would have come over me as a knife cutting in my body and soul.

Apologizing, compensation, nothing would have given me my innocence back again, nothing at all.
l
 
May I say something personally?
If I had the same bad luck as many of the poor comfortwomen, (I stood in the line in January 1944 in Banyu Biru 10, but thank goodness I had a malaria attack at that same moment) I know that my life would have been completely different today. I would have felt a deep shame, a very deep sadness at the same time. It would have come over me as a knife cutting in my body and soul.
Apologizing, compensation, nothing would have given me my innocence back again, nothing at all.
l
I think it is highly offensive if Japanese would claim "good-old days in Korea & Manchu country".

Obeika
Thanks you for your clarification. That's what I wanted to say, though I know it is irrelevant here.
 
Thanks you for your clarification. That's what I wanted to say, though I know it is irrelevant here.
Actually, I thought you meant to say that the Americans were not all irresponsible because they would adopt the children that resulted from their "comforting".
 
there are surely so many comfourt women as a prostitute in business by korean, japanese and local brothel owner.
Jpanese army managed them because of sick.
however, there is no evidence that they were forced.
according to old documment of comfort women, it was prohibited to force them.
ツ鞘?版スq窶凖ーツ身窶佚?ツ is not comfort woman at all
korean indicate them comfort woman.

 
recruiting of comfort woman as a prostitute
baisyunfu(窶昶?楪春窶「wツ)chaged ianfu(ヒ?藩??窶「wツ)ツ because of Kotodama
 
Caster51
I looked and listened to the video you have sent but I don't understand Japanese. Sorry! But you have convinced others.

To me there is a difference in falling in love with "the enemy" or being used by the enemy.
Just as some Japanese camp guards in Indonesia were not bad at all, while others were real devils.
Sorry that I can only speak about the situation in Indonesia during WWII, but we were completely isolated from the rest of the world more than 3½ years long.
 
Well the kanji translate to
女子=women
挺身隊=volunteer corps

I cannot understand the spoken Japanese though
or the meaning of the video, so excuse me if I am jumping to conclusions,

Personally I find it kind of hard to believe that women would be jumping to join a corps of volunteers to offer their bodies to be used for sex.
There may be individuals who for their own reasons fall in love with a GI or whatever, but a corp volunteering to offer sex? That is pretty far fetched.
 
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Is anybody able to expound on this:
Whereas Japanese public and private officials have recently expressed a desire to dilute or rescind the 1993 statement by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the `comfort women', which expressed the Government's sincere apologies and remorse for their ordeal;
It seems this was not the PM who made the appology but a secretary,
thus it is not the government as a whole,
also,
is there anybody in the conversation that
reads Japanese newspapers on a regular basis that might have accumulated knowledge on the "public and private officials" who "have recently expressed a desire to dilute or rescind the 1993 statement" ?



In the US, the Clinton administration officially appologized for the overthrow
of the Hawaiian queen, which involved I believe: the US gov't, those that ran plantations, and religious clergy.
http://www.freehawaii.org/bill103.html
Also Ronald Reagan appologized for the sending of US citizens of Japanese descent (and some not) to concentration camps during WW2, and offered up a token compensation.
 
Actually, I thought you meant to say that the Americans were not all irresponsible because they would adopt the children that resulted from their "comforting".
I hope that is what he wanted to say.


It seems this was not the PM who made the appology but a secretary,
thus it is not the government as a whole,
also,

Actually it was the Prime Minister in South Korea in 1993, problem was he only apologized to SK it seems.
third watershed event occurred on January 11, 1992, when the Asahi Shimbun reported that Yoshiaki Yoshimi, a Japanese historian, had discovered several official war documents at the Library of the National Institute for Defense Studies in Tokyo. Contrary to Japan's official position up until then, these documents revealed that the imperial army was involved in both establishing and operating the comfort stations. As a result, the Japanese government could not help but acknowledge its wartime involvement in the comfort women issue; and on January 13, 1992, it issued an apology. Four days later, Prime Minister Miyazawa formally apologized to the Korean people during his visit to Korea. In March 1992, a South Korean non-governmental organization, The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan (Han'guk Chongsindaemunje Taech'aek Hyopuihoe, "Korean Council" for short) appealed to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights to investigate the comfort women issue.

Japan's Responsibility Toward Comfort Women Survivors
by C. Sarah Soh
 
Is anybody able to expound on this:
It seems this was not the PM who made the appology but a secretary,
thus it is not the government as a whole,...

It seems that the appology in 1993 was only made because a journalist revealed some documents:

"The 1993 apology was not approved by the parliament. It came after a Japanese journalist uncovered official defense documents showing the military had a direct hand in running the brothels -- a role Tokyo until that point had denied."
(AP) March 7, 2007.
 
additional information to #69

"Website of Ministry of Gender Equality & Family"
This website has been brought to you by korean government
Comfort Woman advertisement in japanese on October 27 1944
<Content of the advertisement: Right side>
Comfort women wanted.
Requirements for applicants
Age: 17-23
Place: XXXX Brothel
Monthly salary: JPYen300.-min.
(To JPY3,000 advance on salary is available)
Work hours: Negotiable during 8:00AM to 10:00PM
<Content of the advertisement: Left side>
Requirements for applicants
Destination:XXXX brothel
Age: 18-30(Has to be fine health)
Recruit period: Oct. 27th to Nov. 8th
Start date:Around Nov. 11st
Treatment: Negotiable at personal inteview
Numbers: Tens of people
By Comparison,
Beginner's salary of Policeman was JPY45.- per month at the same time.
Korean government and korean ex.comfort women have claimed that japanese army brought in large numbers of women against their will.
If their are true, Why did japanese army need thesek kinds of advertisement?
 
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