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[av_heading heading=’War’s uncomfortable women’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
EDITORIAL
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January 15, 2018
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A BRONZE statue that commemorates World War II Filipino “comfort women” (read: sex slaves) recently unveiled in Metro Manila is stirring debate. Japan made clear its objection but Malacañang said President Duterte has taken a hands-off stance on the matter. A good position, really.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has long incurred the ire of Asian nations when he questioned historians for asserting that the Japanese Imperial Army forced some 200,000 young women from Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines into prostitution during World War II. He went on to claim that there was “no coercion. It was the economic condition and pimps who drove young women to serve in front-line brothels.”
For trying to protect the image of his beloved country, Abe, in effect, made everyone a liar, including his own predecessor former Prime Minister Koizumi who issued “a most sincere apology and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences as comfort women.” He even “spat” on the truthful testimonies of former Japanese soldiers and the women who were made into sex slaves.
The Japanese premier hardened himself from hearing the disturbing truth about what his country inflicted on the lives of these women who were raped repeatedly – by some accounts by 30 to 40 men each day – day after day. He may be thinking that his country would not get hurt for trying to twist history. He may be thinking that his government has the power to dictate the rules over the governments of Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
China and Korea have to balance foreign relations and rely on Japan for trade, commerce, and other things. We cannot also deny the fact that the Philippines is dependent on Japanese aid and loans. These countries, though supporting the victims’ quest for justice, could not make a stronger move to help them because of economic dependence on Japan. To publicly support the women will cause friction between them and Japan. In other words, it’s all about politics. And it is sad that these comfort women, who had been violated in their youth and whose painful memories of physical violence and sexual abuse still haunt them, are stuck in the middle.
The comfort women demanded that the Japanese government issue a public apology, compensate them, and that their story be included in history books. But because the hands of their governments are restrained as they rely on Japan’s aid and economic benefits, the comfort women’s quest for justice remains elusive.
These comfort women, most of them in their 90s now, will soon be gone. Whether they will get justice remains uncertain. But let us not let their story remain untold. We need to make sure we learn from this painful part of our history.
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