Comfort women resolution, on it's way to a full house vote!

House Resolution 121 (H.RES.121), the comfort women resolution, has cleared the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US congress by a vote of 39-2 and is now on its way to the full House where all members will vote on it. [link] I am not sure when this vote will take place. The bill's fortunes were greatly aided by an ad placed by Japanese lawmakers in the Washington Post against the measure. Many lawmakers were so upset with the ad, that this has virtually assured it of smooth sailing. Update: Trans-Pacific Radio has also now reported about this, noting quite correctly that the ad in the Washington Post was like pouring gas on fire and instead of convincing anyone to vote against the bill inspired quite a lot of people to support it.

Comment: I do not support this resolution and think it is based on numerous false premises. Let me list them:

• I have not studied the history of resolutions like this, so I do not know how long congress has been passing them; however, I am philosophically opposed to the House making statements about history like this. It is not the US House's job to arbitrate the truth for us. They are in Washington to pass laws, that is all. This grandiose hand-standing is only likely to cause trouble. It's congressmen peddling their opinion to the highest bidder. People who cheer and think that something high and moral is being accomplished simply don't understand how congress works.


• I fail to see how it is in American self-interest to antagonize Japan by passing such legislation. Japan is an ally and an important trading partner. It does America no good to wag its fingers and tell Japanese politicians what they must do. It is not for America to interfere with the internal workings of an ally. People will get cross at my extremism here, but what shall Americans do if Japan doesn't do as congress requests. Shall they begin with economic sanctions? This resolution is highly inappropriate.


• The legislation has been mostly supported by Korean-Americans. These Americans still have such a strong sense of identity with the nation of Korea, that they managed to create an extensive network and to raise $100,000 to lobby for legislation that they felt would benefit Korea. That is their primary interest here is to benefit Korea, not America. Should other Americans feel this is appropriate?


• It is sheer hypocrisy to be wagging one's finger at other nations when one has yet to have looked critically at one's own actions. Prominent authors on this issue, including John Dower and Yuki Tanaka, have stated that after WWII the comfort women went from the frying pan into the fire. Many of them became prostitutes for the American military. This is a well known fact. Has congress passed a resolution asking the President of the United States to apologize for this. I think not. Some will say the American military use of prostitutes was not officially condoned. My answer to this is that you are grasping at straws.


• Also, clearly Koreans on all levels of society were complicit in the program. This would include people ranging from government officials, entrepreneurs, and parents. How deeply have Koreans themselves reflected on these facts? Isn't it always so much easier to see the evil outside of us rather than within us?


• No matter what you think, or what you expect to happen, the ultimate victor in all of this will be nationalists. American nationalists, Japanese nationalists, Korean nationalists, Chinese Nationalists and so on and so forth. While most obvious American nationalists have stayed on the opposite side of this debate, supporting the Japanese right by not supporting the bill, the fact is this is about America saying it knows better than Japanese citizens what Japanese politicians should be doing and saying. And even if the resolution is non-binding, when America speaks, Japan had better listen, because it's not gold they keep in Japanese bank reserves, but American dollars. And though no one wants to use the word occupation, aren't there still American soldiers in Japan? Moreover, Japanese nationalists will all be left simmering and angry, but if nothing else more strongly united and determined. Korean nationalists will celebrate and feel a great deal of self-validation. So long as people continue to view this issue in nationalist terms truth will be the greatest victim.

Look, I am not an apologists for what was done to many women as a result of the official policy of the Japanese military. No one should doubt that Japanese officers and soldiers carried out odious and evil deeds, and that this was condoned by higher ups. Having said that, let me tell you who I think is mostly responsible to find the truth here, and to report it. You are. You and I. It's our job. It's every person's job. It's not the job of the government to determine these truths for us. It's not for the government to put its stamp of approval on one truth, and then for us to think it's a done deal. The truth doesn't work like that. The truth is too important a thing for any of us to entrust our politicians with. It's something we have to try and learn ourselves, and then share with our children, our friends, and our neighbors. Trying to get seals of approval on the truth only negates all of our responsibilities in this matter.

Recent News:

• 2007/06/26 Lawmakers want apology for sex slaves, AP via Yahoo!News; "Congressional panel on Tuesday endorsed overwhelmingly a resolution urging Japan to apologize formally for coercing thousands of women to work as sex slaves for its World War II military. The 39-2 approval by the Foreign Affairs Committee allows the measure to be considered by the full House. A large crowd of supporters applauded and cheered after the lawmakers' vote."

Previous News:

• 2007/06/25 Resolutions on China and Japan Could Have Far-Reaching Implications CQ.com; "One resolution (H Res 121) calls on Japan to apologize for coercing women in occupied Korea and China into sexual slavery during World War II. The measure won broad support in the House after an advertisement in The Washington Post by Japanese officials denied that the practice ever happened. ... Korean-Americans, a major constituency in the district of the resolution’s sponsor, Rep. Michael M. Honda, D-Calif., have lobbied hard to get the resolution through the House. Honda, a Japanese-American, was shipped off to an internment camp as a youth during World War II. A spokesman for Honda, Daniel Kohns, said the lawmaker is aware of Japan’s previous apologies, but he said Honda wants its leaders to issue a more formal one. The more Japan pushes back, Kohns said, the more it appears that lawmakers are willing to support Honda’s resolution. He and other congressional aides said Japan’s latest misstep was the full-page advertisement in The Washington Post denying the enslavement.The ad was signed by some members of the Japanese parliament. Kohns said that resulted in several lawmakers telling Honda they would support his resolution."

• 2007/06/20 ‘Comfort Women’ resolution to reach Foreign Affairs panel, The Hill; A months-long effort by a Korean-American grassroots lobbying campaign will culminate next week when the House Foreign Affairs Committee takes up a resolution calling on Japan to acknowledge formally and accept responsibility for sexually enslaving women during World War II. In a twist, the campaign’s recent victory comes partly because a group of Japanese politicians and academics last week took out an ad in The Washington Post saying there is no proof women were forced into sexual enslavement. The group published the ad despite opposition from others in the Japanese government and the Japanese Embassy in Washington, which has been trying to convince Congress not to take up the resolution, sponsored by Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) and insisting Japan already has apologized to the 'comfort women.' Several congressional sources said members who were ambivalent about Honda’s measure now support it. 'Now there is more support for the measure than ever,' a congressional source, who asked not to be quoted by name, said."

News in Japanese: 米下院外交委、慰安婦決議案を可決＝本会議採択の公算,  時事通信;

米下院外交委員会は26日（日本時間27日未明）、第2次大戦中の従軍慰安婦問題に関する対日謝罪要求決議案を賛成39、反対2で可決した。決議案は外交委から本会議に上程され、7月中に採択される公算が大きい。法的拘束力はないが、安倍政権には外交上の痛手となりそうだ。 決議案は日系のマイク・ホンダ議員（民主）が1月末に提出。旧日本軍が若い女性を「性的奴隷」にしたと非難した上で、日本政府に公式かつ明確な謝罪や教育の徹底などを求めている。採決前にラントス外交委員長らの提案で一部修正され、「首相が公式の謝罪声明を出せば、これまでの声明の誠意に関して再三繰り返される疑問の解決に役立つ」との文言が盛り込まれた。