Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Comfort Women Issue


In Korea, there is a gathering in front of the Japanese embassy urging the Japanese government to solve the comfort women problem every Wednesday.
The old women, full of white hair, shout for Japan's repent... Their story is very pitiful.
The comfort women victims are still alive, and there are testimonies proving Japan's wrong-doings all over the world. Yet, Japan still denies the truth.
In a conversation held in 1993, Kono, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, admitted that comfort women were coerced into sexual slavery, but there is continuous pressure in Japan to cancel the conversation. Moreover, recently Prime Minister Noda, and Mayor of Osaka, Hashimoto, are making remarks that deny the coercion of the comfort women.
To the Japanese, the coercion of women in to sexual slavery is a past that it shameful. Maybe that's why they are denying their past crimes.
However, I don't understand how long they can keep denying the past.
Next month, at the UN General Assembly, Korea will strongly bring up the issue of Japan's distorted perception of history.
Japan should embrace their past, even if it is a shameful one, like their past ally Germany has done.
If not, they will not be able to avoid the criticism from the international community.

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