Military Sexual Slaves: ¡°Comfort Women¡±
What is ¡°Comfort Women¡±?
The Japanese military ¡°comfort women¡± ? military comfort women is a euphemism for military prostitute ? are the ones who were escorted to the Japanese military ¡°comfort stations¡± before and during World War II ? military comfort station is a euphemism for military rape center ? and were forced to engage in sexual slavery . The Japanese military called these women ¡°military comfort women¡± or ¡°prostitute¡±. This terminology distorts the main issue of the Japanese military comfort womenand ignores the victim¡¯s point of view.Internally accepted expressions such as ¡°sexual slaves¡± and ¡°victims of sexual violence¡± better reveals the essence of the Japanese military ¡°comfort women¡± issue.In spite of these contradictions, the Japanese military term ¡°comfort women¡± is commonly used.
When was the System Introduced?
Roughly, in March 1932, during the battles of Shanghai, but following the second Sino-Japanese War of 1937.Especially after the infamous Nanjing Massacre, comfort stations were established rapidly.
Why did Japan do this?
Allegedly, to prevent soldiers from raping local women and incurring local opposition; to protect them from venereal disease and thereby avoiding the disablement of fighting men; and to protect military secrets. In any case, it is the first time in history that a government was actively engaged in institutionalizing systematic rape in a massive scale.
Who Became Comfort Women?
Imperial Japan, by force, mobilized women as military ¡°comfort women¡± in Japan as well as in Korea (then Japanese colony), occupied China, Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and other parts of Asia and the South Pacific.The number is estimated roughly between 80,000 to 200,000.Imperial Japan specifically targeted Korean women.It was calculated act of discrimination against colonial women with a certain international law in mind.Although Japan joined the ¡°International Treaty of Prohibition of Sales of Women and Children¡±, there was an exclusive clause that this treaty does not apply to colonies.
How were these Women Recruited?
Poverty was rampant due to the Japanese colonial policy of exploiting every available resource in Korea.There was no difficulty in recruiting women in farming villages.These women wanted jobs desperately.Most of these women were in their teens and in many cases were taken to the comfort stations deceived by recruiters¡¯ sweet words, such as ¡°I will find you a job at a factory¡± or ¡°I will help you earn a lot of money¡±.Sometimes town officials, policemen, and the military were involved in kidnapping these women.There were cases of comfort station owners and recruiters abducting women and selling them.Behind the private comfort station owners, who mobilized these women, were units of the Japanese military such as Kwandongkun (Japanese military stationed in China) and the Korean Military Headquarter.These women were transported to comfort stations by military trucks and train.If they traveled by ship, they were transferred to military freight or war ships.
What has Happened to ¡°Comfort Women¡±?
After Japan lost the war, military comfort women were abandoned again.At times, retreating Japanese military gathered comfort women and massacred them.The comfort women took ships heading home or sometimes they had to return home on their own with much difficulty.Some were list at sea as the Unified Forces bombed homecoming ships. Some killed themselves or left in a foreign land out of shame.
The end of the war did not put an end to their suffering. The sicknesses that were picked up during the comfort house years still haunt most of the women. Many became sterile. Only a small number got married, but some were forced to separate or were divorced because they could not have children. In North and South Korea, there are more than 300 survivors, but most of them are still living in hardship and sorrow.
Japan in Denial
Unlike Germany which made official apology and paid reparation to the victims of wartime atrocities, Japan has NOT offered official and sincere apologies and refuses to pay compensation to comfort women. Whereas Nazi¡¯s war criminals were punished and rejected by its society, most Japanese war criminals were left unpunished and rather became key government, business, and academic leaders. Moreover, Japan continues to distort history in textbooks by whitewashing or eliminating its war crimes and war time atrocities.What Can We Do?
Urge the Japanese government to publicly apologize to the victims and give reparation.
To learn more about this issue and how you can become involved, contact:
The House of Sharing
www.nanum.org
Historical Justice Now
www.historicaljustice.org,
info@historicaljustice.org
Alliance to Preserve the History of World War II in Asia ? Los Angeles (ALPHA-LA)
www.alpha-la.org,www.sjwar.org