Conclusion
In the past decade, over fifty years after
the crimes occurred, survivors have come forward, telling their stories
to the world. These survivors allowed for more information to be
discovered regarding the events. In some cases, this information
led to public apologies from the Japanese government.
The crimes committed at the comfort stations
remained a secret until December 1991, when three former comfort women
filed suit in the Tokyo District Court seeking an apology and compensation.
There were many demands placed upon the Japanese government, including:
1) The Japanese government had to acknowledge the crimes committed, including
all acts of brutality; 2) Official apologies and compensation were required
to the survivors or their families; 3) A memorial was to be built for all
the victims; and 4) In order to prevent this brutality from occurring again,
the facts of these crimes had to be taught in school. At first, the
government had no reaction to these demands, but soon documents were discovered,
attracting widespread attention, and the Japanese government was forced
to acknowledge what happened at the comfort stations.
On August 4, 1993, the Japanese government
issued this statement regarding the comfort houses:
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1. The Japanese military was ‘directly or
indirectly involved’ in the establishment and management of
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the comfort stations and
in the transfer of comfort women.
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2. As for the ‘recruitment’ of comfort women,
‘in many cases they were recruited against their own will, through
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coaxing, coercion, etc.’
and ‘at times administrative/military personnel directly took part in the
recruitment.’
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3. ‘They lived in misery at comfort stations
in a coercive atmosphere.’
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4. The ‘recruitment,’ transfer, and control
of comfort women born on the Korean Peninsula were conducted
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‘generally against their
will, through coaxing, coercion, etc.’
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5. The issue of military comfort women is
‘an act, with the involvement of the military authorities of the day, that
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severely injured the honor
and dignity of many women.’
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6. To the former comfort women, ‘the government
of Japan would like to take this opportunity once again
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to extend its sincere apologies
(owabi) and regrets.’
The Japanese government was very careful when
making these statements. With the use of phrases, such as “directly
or indirectly involved,” and never fully acknowledging the massive rapes
that occurred, the apology from the government was not as sincere as many
hoped. The apology also only recognized the Korean comfort women
as victims; there was no reference to the comfort women from China, Taiwan,
Southeast Asia, or the Pacific Island. The Japanese government has
gone through extraordinary measures to cover the crimes they committed
on their own soil as well as those in occupied regions. Japanese
textbooks still place the blame on other countries, claiming they did not
do anything wrong. The only hope the survivors have is to come forward
with their stories, forcing the Japanese to face the facts of the atrocious
crimes they committed to innocent people during World War II.
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Bibliography
Revised 11/20/02 by Kellie
Johnson