US House urges Japan to apologize over comfort women

Han Chan said:

It is thrue that the polish PM came up with this as part of his negotiation tactics. However, it backfired because all other countries in EU and much of his own population were outraged.
In Europe, we are managing very well to live in the present. However, we are constantly on the look out for populistic and nationalistic politicians who try to stir up animosity against their neighbors. One of the keys to successful integration in EU is the fact that frank aknowledgement of wrongdooing in the past, and that most politicians have refrained from trying to exploit the posibility of gaining short term popularity points by blame games. One of the preconditions for this state of affairs have been Germanys aknowledgement of ist past wrongdooings.
In the former Yugoslavia we had an example of what happens when nationalistic politicians exploits and distorts the historical facts in order to gain support. Most europeans are by now "allergic" to propoganda. Maybe this is the reason why we are concerned when some politicians in Japan - a country most of us love - try to avoid the unpleasant truth about the past - in this connection the issue of "comfort women".

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Whether it backfired or not, the Polish did bring up the issue didnt they? That is my point.

Unlike Europeans, the Chinese and the Japanese had not fought against each other for more than 300 years until WWII. In fact, until the late 19th century when the Westerners came to the Far East for imperialistic invasions, the people there used to live rather peacefully, or simply ignore each other. The reason why the Europeans are so sensitive about nationalism is as simple as that, thats because of the extent to which they have killed each other, and not because they are at a moral high ground I think. This is not my original argument, but the opinion of an english friend of mine actually.

By the way your view is slightly (to say the least) biased against the Japanese. There are much, much more "populistic and nationalistic politicians who try to stir up animosity against their neighbors" in the peninsula or the continent than in Japan. It is them, eg South Korean Presidents or Chinese Communist leaders, who exploit and distort the historical facts in order to gain (political) support or deflect domestic criticism. I recommend that you check with a fresh pair of eyes which side have been doing propoganda things.

Finally, could you elaborate a bit on what you mean by saying "the unpleasant truth about the past - in this connection the issue of "comfort women?"" Abe, like his predecessors, did acknowledge their existence didnt he? He did not deny the fact that the military had been involved in setting up brothels. He just said that the military had never forced the women to serve there by kidnapping them by itself. As argued time and again, there is no evidence whatsoever proving such a claim, and the Korean women claiming they are victims have changed their words so often that they cannot be believed. If you dare to say "facts" or "truth", check and verify the claims by yourself and do not just believe what the one side is saying.

Han Chan said:

Strange question. This thread is about that very resolution, and it is therefore only logic that someone - in this case Obeika - gives us all an opportunity to actually read the text.

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Please read between the lines. It is obvious that Obeika supports the resolution, which is unbelievable to me as a Japanese since the resolution is full of untruth.

"Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia"
http://www.global-alliance.net/related.html
In short, the House of Representatives is an organization under Chinese Communist Party.


産経ニュース

pipokun said:

They were just the military brothel, and nobody denys it.
China
South Korea
They are not regional players anymore. I don't know which is which, but they should play a rolel like France or the UK.
Not here, but it is interesting that I see some young Koreans claim they are Italian in East Asia.

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Oh, Italians this time. they used to say they are the French. Give me a break.

Well done, hanbei, I wholeheartedly support your argument.

Hiroyuki Nagashima said:

"Global Alliance for Preserving the History of WWII in Asia"

In short, the House of Representatives is an organization under Chinese Communist Party.

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Many many thanks. I have been surfing on the web for quite some time!

hanbei, thank you.

Yes I know that group in Canada.

But I have really respect for Mr.Hoda, he is from Japanese origine, yet he defends the "Comfort Women", that takes some courage.

Oh Stalin did not trust anyone. Why on earth should Canadians pay an American Mr.Honda. Americans aren't anti-Japan
The Chinese Group in Canada is very serious, they won't tell us lies and they do a lot of research work about the comfort women. I trust them.

There are also many very serious and very honest Japanese historians!
I trust them also.

I love to see the whole Pacific War story told by several historians from all the countries involved by that war, sitting around the table discussing all the events, crimes and mistakes. Not by denying crimes and mistakes but admitting them is telling true history.

Making mistakes is very human, but not learning from our mistakes, THAT really is making a big mistake.

Elizabeth van Kampen said:

hanbei, thank you.
Yes I know that group in Canada.
But I have really respect for Mr.Hoda, he is from Japanese origine, yet he defends the "Comfort Women", that takes some courage.
Oh Stalin did not trust anyone. Why on earth should Canadians pay an American Mr.Honda. Americans aren't anti-Japan

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There are a wide variety of people in the world including Japanese and Japanese-American.
Plenty of communist politicians and historians exist in Japan.
They accuse Japanese war crimes conspiring with Chinese and Korean. I can't understand their mentality. Parts of them are naturalized immigrants from Korea who inherited the hatred for Japan from ancestors.

Why are you respect Mr. Honda?

I am not like Stalin because I trust the majority of Japanese people.

Chinese-Canadian may pay all US congress members who are anti-Japan.

There are a lot of Chinese- and Korean-American who are anti-Japan.

I think you are too one-sided for understanding complicated world political affairs. You should compare the opposite opinions and analyze them. It may be tedious and uncertain, but absolutely required procedure for getting some conclusions.

Winger said:

Please read between the lines. It is obvious that Obeika supports the resolution, which is unbelievable to me as a Japanese since the resolution is full of untruth.

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Cripes Han Chan knows how I feel about this issue very well. There is no need for your condescending attitude.

And btw you may have noticed that outside of this response I have not responded to you and any other "Japanese" poster on this thread since putting up the resolution itself.

I doubt you will figure out why, but I challenge you to figure it out. And I wont be responding to any of your replies until you get the answer right.

Winger said:

By the way your view is slightly (to say the least) biased against the Japanese. There are much, much more "populistic and nationalistic politicians who try to stir up animosity against their neighbors" in the peninsula or the continent than in Japan. It is them, eg South Korean Presidents or Chinese Communist leaders, who exploit and distort the historical facts in order to gain (political) support or deflect domestic criticism. I recommend that you check with a fresh pair of eyes which side have been doing propoganda things.
Finally, could you elaborate a bit on what you mean by saying "the unpleasant truth about the past - in this connection the issue of "comfort women?"" Abe, like his predecessors, did acknowledge their existence didnt he? He did not deny the fact that the military had been involved in setting up brothels. He just said that the military had never forced the women to serve there by kidnapping them by itself. As argued time and again, there is no evidence whatsoever proving such a claim, and the Korean women claiming they are victims have changed their words so often that they cannot be believed. If you dare to say "facts" or "truth", check and verify the claims by yourself and do not just believe what the one side is saying.

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This thread is about Japan. I do not know China first hand, so I can only base my opinion about that country on the media. I am sure the leaders in China are not better than those in Japan. When demonstraters are hurling stones and paint at the japanese embassy in Beijin, I am shure that it is staged by the political leadership there. However, Japan is a democracy and therefore one should expect higher standards.

The problem was that Aso first and the Abe said that the claims regarding the 'comfort women' were not based of facts. This sounds like a indirect way of saying that it is a lie. It that way they are trying to satisfy the right wing minority groups in Japan who claim that the Japanese army did noting wrong.

The problem was that Aso first and the Abe said that the claims regarding the 'comfort women' were not based of facts. This sounds like a indirect way of saying that it is a lie. It that way they are trying to satisfy the right wing minority groups in Japan who claim that the Japanese arme did noting wrong

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However in the international world of politicians to come straight out and call someone a liar is just not done.

I personally dont think it is to just satisfy the right, but to set in motion an entirely different set of values amongst future generations of Japanese.

Considering that most of the veterans of WWII are dying out and that soon the overwhelming majority of the population will have been born after WWII the administration is working at making Japan to bee seen as the victim of WWII and not the aggressor.

Hence so many Japanese posters here not knowing how inaccurate their education has been in regards to the role Japan played in WWII.

Now in South Korea, the reparation project which had long been ignored is ongoing after she disclassied the diplomatic documents.

It may be an idea if you would ask them for reparation if you're Korean Americans or immigrants. And the great 10 should support them.

It was unusal for Korea who kept silent about the reparation from Japan, so it may also be a chance for the unusual request by emigrants.

Winger said:

The Polish did bring up WWII at the European Summit in June didnt it? They said their vote should be increased disproportionately to their population since many Polish had been killed by the Germans in WWII.
The reason Japans neighbours keep bringing up the issue is because anti-Japan is their regimes' raison d'etre. Take a look at the history textbooks used in China and Korea for example; they are totally one-sided, of course with some truth but also with a lot of lies, and deliberately edited to nurture hatred towards Japan in many generations to come. No wonder even if they keep bringing up the issue. Another reason could be that they tend to look down upon Japan as being morally inferior and barbaristic for historical reasons, but the fact now is that that Japan is still more advanced than they are. The situation is different in Western Europe where the countries' stage of development is roughly the same.
And for apology in action, Japan concluded the basic treaty with Korea in 1965 and extended huge money to them for Japan at that time, in addition to renouncing all assets in Korea belonging to the Japanese. Unlike Germany, Japan paid the money to the state of Korea upon Korean Government's request. Has any other country extended such generosity towards former part of its own or its former colony? But the shame is that this fact was hidden by the Korean government against Korean people until recently.
And unlike Germany again, Japan paid war compensation to the countries it occupied at WWII, including Indonesia and the Philippines. Correct me if i am wrong, but I understand that Germany compensated for holocaust but not for WWII itself. You better not believe China and Korea's claims against Japan literally.

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when i make a statement, i dont proclaim it as a universal truth. Compared to japan, German neighbors do not bring up the WW2, because Germany has done enough to compensate.

And like i said money is not the issue.

You also sound like those guys that once you pay money, you can deny all your wrongdoings of the past.

And i dotn believe china or korea's accusation of japan litereally by itself... but i do believe amnesty international, and countless other NPO's, countless number of well-established international media.

And virtually, all international organizations, except half the right-wing organizations in japan, agree japan has not acknowledged its past.

japan acknoledges its past.

if it doesnt, why would it keep apologizing to its neighbours?

give us a break.....

after that I realized that this issue was finished in USA
i think USA was also annoyed by them

US House urges Japan to apologize over comfort women but Japanese gov is not intended to apologize but keep good relationship with USA.
That's is how it is going on.

brave_new_world said:

US House urges Japan to apologize over comfort women but Japanese gov is not intended to apologize but keep good relationship with USA.
That's is how it is going on.

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Japanese governors tried to persuade US House so hard not to pass comfort women resolution but US House eventually passed the resolution.
I wonder what would Japanese gov would do about that.