Wednesday, March 24, 2010
During Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion (1910-1935), it occupied Korea, declared it a protectorate of Japan (1905), and officially annexed it in 1910. Here in Korea, this time is referred to as "Japanese forced occupation" and it marks a very dark and painful past. The events that took place have been described by some historians as cultural genocide, as the Japanese Empire sought to suppress all aspects of Korean culture. Korean royalty was assassinated and replaced, century-old palaces were destroyed, precious historical artifacts were stolen, and ancient books burned. Every effort was made to erase memories too, with lyrics to traditional songs rewritten, history books edited, and Japanese language forcibly replaced Korean. Political and economic mechanisms to exploit the country were put into place, including land reforms designed to confiscate land predominately from the lower class, coupled with crippling high taxes which paved the way to widespread famine.
Development of "Comfort Stations" : Institutionalized, Systematic Rape
The Nanking Massacre (also referred to historically as The Rape of Nanking) is considered a watershed for the sexual slavery that soon followed. This was a six week period beginning in December 1937 in which Japanese troops captured the former capital of China, Nanjing. There was complete loss of control over the soldiers. It is estimated that over 12,000 people were massacred and 20,000 women were raped, varying in range from infants to elderly. Gang rapes and mutilation were common, and victims were often murdered after. There are reports of soldiers competing for highest kill counts, and using prisoners for bayonet practice.
Beginning in 1932 and continuing until the end of WWII, "Comfort Houses" began to appear all over Asia, predominately in territories occupied by Japan. Military sanctioned brothels held several advantages. First, it increased morale of the troops, making them easier to control. This in turn, decreased the risk of Japanese soldiers raping local women in the occupied territories, thus preventing civilian uprisings. Furthermore, by having these brothels sanctioned by the military, they could control the risk and spread of STDs, protecting the health of their soldiers.
In the early years, the women were typically Japanese prostitutes who reportedly volunteered. However Japanese military expansion increased quickly, and volunteers dwindled, so the military turned to the local populations. Tactics varied from paying off parents for their young girls, deceiving women by promises of factory work, or simply kidnapping girls off the street. Most of the women found in these brothels were Korean or Chinese, however there were also women of Japanese, Filipino, Taiwanese, Burmese, Indonesian, Dutch, and Australian descent. Due to lack of official documentation, scholars can only makes estimates as to the number of women forced into sexual labor, which tend to vary in between 50,000 to 200,000.
While each survivor's story is unique, there are many commonalities to be noted. First: none of these women consented to sexual acts, they were indisputably victims of rape. Second, many of these individuals were pre-pubescent when they were forced into sexual labor. Their are some reports of women being as young as twelve, and usually no older than twenty. The women were, raped, starved, beaten and tortured daily. Punishment for disobedience was commonly brutal death. Women were punished for getting their period, for getting pregnant, and for getting diseases. Medical exams happened monthly, and after passing her medical exam, the women were usually raped by the doctor in front of other soldiers. Punishment for escapes attempts was extremely harsh. One of the women I met reported in her testimony witnessing a girl publicly sliced in half with a sword by one of the Japanese soldiers. At the end of the war, fresh mass graves were discovered, victims massacred by retreating Japanese military.
When the Allied forces came through the abandoned Japanese military bases, there was a lot of confusion discovering these abused women speaking all different kinds of languages. Sorting out the situation took time as they had to call translators from literally ever linguistic region of Asia. After being freed, survivors still faced difficult choices. Social awareness and understanding of sexual awareness is nothing like it is today. Man survivors felt such great shame, that they couldn't return home, and for those who married, never spoke of their dark past to their loved ones. Suicide was not uncommon. Due to the violence inflicted on their bodies, survivors were usually unable to conceive, and many faced a lifetime of hardship after the war, battling severe psychological trauma, disease, and chronic poverty.
Denial Despite Copious Evidence
During the two weeks between the ceasefire and arrival of American troops in Japan, Japanese military and government archives were systematically destroyed. Officials were ordered specifically to destroy any incriminating documents relating to war crimes, especially those concerning prisoners of war and forced laborers. The lack of official government documents is used by the Japanese government to claim their innocence regarding any involvement in the systematic rape of Korean women. Although the Japanese military destroyed many documents that could be used as direct evidence, there is still an overwhelming amount of evidence and testimony that makes this sad part of human history indisputable.
Exhibit #1: This is a map marking all the comfort stations reported. Some stations were found and recorded by the UN taskforce dispatched at the end of the war, some reported by survivors, and others reported by soldiers. People who dispute the validity of survivors' testimonies claim that these women were willing prostitutes. Korean women were found all over Asia and as far South as Indonesia, and the abducted women were generally uneducated girls with no income. Remembering it was the 1930s when public transportation was limited and very expensive, how can we explain the diffusion of hundreds of thousands of Korean women all of the continent? Answer: Army transport, which would require the direct and orchestrated participation of the Japanese government.
Testimonies: A large number of women have come forward in the past few decades, to record their painful stories. In South Korea, 220 women, or "Halmoni" (respectful term for grandmother) have bravely come forward to offer their testimonial. As of 2010, 89 of these women are still alive, most in their late 80s or 90s. Further testimonies have also been given by soldiers who frequented the comfort stations, as well as officers involved in their institution.
Physical objects: Comfort station designs and setup were very similar, an their standard operating procedures often identical. Every station had a plaque on the wall, listing the rules of soldiers had to follow while being "serviced". This plaque was identical among stations not only in wording but right down to the size and font, quite obviously military issued and distributed. You can see more examples of common objects found in stations all over Asia when you visit the House of Sharing Museum
On several occasions, Japanese officials have made general apology statements, such as Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995. Despite this, Japan absolutely refuses to accept any legal liability for crimes inflicted against self-proclaimed "comfort women", and it will not agree to use government money to compensate the surviving victims. Instead, it has set up the Asian Women's Fund, which provides retribution via direct donations from the Japanese public. Sadly, to this day, history textbooks are still whitewashed regarding the war atrocities committed, especially in Japan, but also in Korea. It appears the Japanese government is biding its time, in hope that after they last survivors die, the issue will dissipate.
Lifetime Activists, Living History
In 1990, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan was established to support the surviving Halmoni. They help provide medical support, counseling, and provide shelter to those who have none. They have successfully pressured the Korean government to pass legislation related directly to the survivors, and are presently pursuing legislation that would mount pressure on relations with Japan to produce an official apology and retribution. The council also supports the weekly Wednesday protests which take place in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Every protest, they ask for the following seven demands:
In January 2010, they celebrated their 900th protest...the only answer from Tokyo is embassy soldiers dressed in riot gear.
Want to get Involved?
(Suggestions taken from House of Sharing Pamphlet)
Development of "Comfort Stations" : Institutionalized, Systematic Rape
The Nanking Massacre (also referred to historically as The Rape of Nanking) is considered a watershed for the sexual slavery that soon followed. This was a six week period beginning in December 1937 in which Japanese troops captured the former capital of China, Nanjing. There was complete loss of control over the soldiers. It is estimated that over 12,000 people were massacred and 20,000 women were raped, varying in range from infants to elderly. Gang rapes and mutilation were common, and victims were often murdered after. There are reports of soldiers competing for highest kill counts, and using prisoners for bayonet practice.
Beginning in 1932 and continuing until the end of WWII, "Comfort Houses" began to appear all over Asia, predominately in territories occupied by Japan. Military sanctioned brothels held several advantages. First, it increased morale of the troops, making them easier to control. This in turn, decreased the risk of Japanese soldiers raping local women in the occupied territories, thus preventing civilian uprisings. Furthermore, by having these brothels sanctioned by the military, they could control the risk and spread of STDs, protecting the health of their soldiers.In the early years, the women were typically Japanese prostitutes who reportedly volunteered. However Japanese military expansion increased quickly, and volunteers dwindled, so the military turned to the local populations. Tactics varied from paying off parents for their young girls, deceiving women by promises of factory work, or simply kidnapping girls off the street. Most of the women found in these brothels were Korean or Chinese, however there were also women of Japanese, Filipino, Taiwanese, Burmese, Indonesian, Dutch, and Australian descent. Due to lack of official documentation, scholars can only makes estimates as to the number of women forced into sexual labor, which tend to vary in between 50,000 to 200,000.
While each survivor's story is unique, there are many commonalities to be noted. First: none of these women consented to sexual acts, they were indisputably victims of rape. Second, many of these individuals were pre-pubescent when they were forced into sexual labor. Their are some reports of women being as young as twelve, and usually no older than twenty. The women were, raped, starved, beaten and tortured daily. Punishment for disobedience was commonly brutal death. Women were punished for getting their period, for getting pregnant, and for getting diseases. Medical exams happened monthly, and after passing her medical exam, the women were usually raped by the doctor in front of other soldiers. Punishment for escapes attempts was extremely harsh. One of the women I met reported in her testimony witnessing a girl publicly sliced in half with a sword by one of the Japanese soldiers. At the end of the war, fresh mass graves were discovered, victims massacred by retreating Japanese military.
Denial Despite Copious Evidence
During the two weeks between the ceasefire and arrival of American troops in Japan, Japanese military and government archives were systematically destroyed. Officials were ordered specifically to destroy any incriminating documents relating to war crimes, especially those concerning prisoners of war and forced laborers. The lack of official government documents is used by the Japanese government to claim their innocence regarding any involvement in the systematic rape of Korean women. Although the Japanese military destroyed many documents that could be used as direct evidence, there is still an overwhelming amount of evidence and testimony that makes this sad part of human history indisputable.
Exhibit #1: This is a map marking all the comfort stations reported. Some stations were found and recorded by the UN taskforce dispatched at the end of the war, some reported by survivors, and others reported by soldiers. People who dispute the validity of survivors' testimonies claim that these women were willing prostitutes. Korean women were found all over Asia and as far South as Indonesia, and the abducted women were generally uneducated girls with no income. Remembering it was the 1930s when public transportation was limited and very expensive, how can we explain the diffusion of hundreds of thousands of Korean women all of the continent? Answer: Army transport, which would require the direct and orchestrated participation of the Japanese government.
"We must record these things that were forced upon us" -Kim Hak Soon, first Korean survivor to come out publicly in 1991
Testimonies: A large number of women have come forward in the past few decades, to record their painful stories. In South Korea, 220 women, or "Halmoni" (respectful term for grandmother) have bravely come forward to offer their testimonial. As of 2010, 89 of these women are still alive, most in their late 80s or 90s. Further testimonies have also been given by soldiers who frequented the comfort stations, as well as officers involved in their institution.Physical objects: Comfort station designs and setup were very similar, an their standard operating procedures often identical. Every station had a plaque on the wall, listing the rules of soldiers had to follow while being "serviced". This plaque was identical among stations not only in wording but right down to the size and font, quite obviously military issued and distributed. You can see more examples of common objects found in stations all over Asia when you visit the House of Sharing Museum
On several occasions, Japanese officials have made general apology statements, such as Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama in 1995. Despite this, Japan absolutely refuses to accept any legal liability for crimes inflicted against self-proclaimed "comfort women", and it will not agree to use government money to compensate the surviving victims. Instead, it has set up the Asian Women's Fund, which provides retribution via direct donations from the Japanese public. Sadly, to this day, history textbooks are still whitewashed regarding the war atrocities committed, especially in Japan, but also in Korea. It appears the Japanese government is biding its time, in hope that after they last survivors die, the issue will dissipate.
Lifetime Activists, Living History
In 1990, the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan was established to support the surviving Halmoni. They help provide medical support, counseling, and provide shelter to those who have none. They have successfully pressured the Korean government to pass legislation related directly to the survivors, and are presently pursuing legislation that would mount pressure on relations with Japan to produce an official apology and retribution. The council also supports the weekly Wednesday protests which take place in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. Every protest, they ask for the following seven demands:
- Official acknowledgement of the crime of the Japanese Military system of sexual slavery;
- An official apology from the government of Japan;
- Investigation and full disclosure of official documents;
- Compensation to victims or their families;
- Inclusion in textbooks;
- Erection of monuments to the victims;
- Punishment of criminals involved in the system.
In January 2010, they celebrated their 900th protest...the only answer from Tokyo is embassy soldiers dressed in riot gear.
Want to get Involved?
(Suggestions taken from House of Sharing Pamphlet)
- Visit the House of Sharing and talk to the survivors;
- Join survivors as the make their Wednesday protest in front of the Japanese embassy (or organize one in your home country);
- Read testimony, articles and other literature regarding the issue
- To hear a Korean survivor tell her tale in her own words, you can listen to an audio interview on this radio show;
- Send a letter to the Japanese government and your local politicians;
- Educate the people around you, ask teacher's to include the survivors' stories in the their curriculum;
- Donate time, money or organize a fundraiser;
- Continue the global fight against the exploitation of women in wartime and the international sex trade;
- Join the facebook group and receive updates, including information regarding upcoming visits to the House of Sharing;
- Sign the following petitions:
1 Comment:
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April 3, 2010 at 11:50 AM
What a heartbreaking story. I knew something of this, but had no idea it was so widespread. Man's inhumanity to women- because they can. I am so glad that this museum is keeping the memory, and spreading the information of such atrocity. May the women and men find peace in spreading the truth.
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