Selective Amnesia

In September, Japan will release official maps reflecting the name change of the island popularly known as Iwo Jima to the pre-war name of Iwo To, in accordance to the wishes of the island’s former inhabitants. In 1944, with American forces advancing, civilians were evacuated from the island and Japanese troops misnamed the island Iwo Jima. The long and brutal battle that ensued, and the photo-turned-memorial that represented America’s courageous fighters, have cemented the name Iwo Jima into the world’s memory. When locals petitioned the central government to change the name, the government obliged.

This action has raised issue among American veterans and Japanese about whether the name should have been changed in light of the island’s historical significance. However, I am not going to address that issue; that is left for people more educated than I to argue. What I would like to remark on is how easy it was for some locals to convince the government that the real name of the island is Iwo To and that the government should revert to that name. While they were able to gather the information and garner support for one small island, the countless testimonies and government records still have not convinced the government that it did, in fact, run a war sex-trafficking system that did not encompass just one small island, but half a continent. Yes, I did just say that. Bring it.

Two days ago the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed H. Res. 121, a non-binding resolution calling on Japan to formally apologize to victims of the “comfort women” program. That means that the Resolution can now proceed to the House floor. Kudos to Japanese-American Mike Honda (D-CA) for acknowledging the horrors of the policy and introducing the resolution.

Rep. Mike Honda


Three victims -- Lee Yong Soo (Korean), Jan Ruff O’Hare (Dutch), and Kim Koon Ja (Korean) -- testified before the Foreign Affairs Committee in February 2007. They told their heart-wrenching stories of being brutalized by the soldiers, abandoned after the war, and living their lives in shame, segregated from the rest of society, because of the sins of others. For the full text of the hearings, visit http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/110/33317.pdf. It’s a huge file, but worth the read.

H. Res. 121 is a symbolic attempt by the U.S. House to address the issue of war sex-trafficking. Unfortunately, this despicable practice continues today as belligerents ignore the codes of the Geneva Convention, human conscience, basic decency, and women’s equality. Not only does this practice brutalize its victims, but reduces its perpetrators to beasts. However, it appears that this Resolution will not advance far beyond symbolism. As a nonbinding resolution, Japan’s outright rejection of the bill will have no impact on U.S.-Japanese relations, politically or economically. Yesterday, according to the AP:

“Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki also suggested there would be no further apology from Tokyo on the wartime brothels, despite the passage of the resolution by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“ ‘The alliance between the U.S. and Japan is irreplaceable. There is no change at all to the fact that Japan-U.S. relations will continue to be unshakable,’ Shiozaki said.”

Wow. So basically he’s saying that they don’t care because it will have no impact. Now really, is he going out of his way to insult the U.S. as well as the program’s countless victims, or is he just recognizing H. Res. 121 as a nonbinding resolution?

Regardless of what the U.S. is doing, Japan is biding its time, waiting for the last of the victims (now in their 80s) to die off and hoping that history will be buried with them. Already Japan is exercising what Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Lantos termed “historical amnesia.” In March, PM Shinzo Abe (apparently the love child of Beelzebub and Krusty the Clown) stated that there was no evidence that Japan forced women into the war brothel program; he later rescinded this statement and stood by the 1993 Kono Statement (the Japanese government had pressured him to discontinue his facial-rectal inversion). In addition, select Japanese media have stated that the program was a fabrication and references to the program have been removed from some Japanese textbooks.

PM Shinzo Abe


Let me stress, however, that these attitudes are not shared by all members of Japanese government, or the people of Japan. For example, the Asian Women’s Fund is a private organization that raises money to compensate “comfort women.” Yes, although the government allocated funds for AWF’s operating costs, Japanese citizens donate to this fund.

The fact remains that attempts on behalf of the U.S., Japanese citizens, or select figures in the Japanese government to right old wrongs are Simply. Not. Enough. The Japanese government as a whole needs to recognize and address its hurtful past. There are three reasons why Japan should formally issue an apology.

1) The victims deserve an apology. Too many of the program’s victims have already passed away. An apology will not restore their youth or erase painful memories. An apology will not heal their scars or vaccinate their diseases. An apology will not remove the shame they’ve felt for sixty years. An apology is just that: an apology. This is not a matter of "they should just get over it." Stop making the victims the bad guys. When one hurts another, he should apologize. Numerous Japanese PM’s have apologized. Yet they’re not the ones who victimized these women; the government victimized the women, and the government should apologize. Reparations will be proof of their regret, “putting your money where your mouth is,” so to speak. Yet money without repentance is a bribe.

2) A formal apology will further normalize relations between Japan and the various nations that were hurt by its program. As in any relationship -- personal, business or state -- the best way to strengthen a bond is to clear up any misgivings; this removes bitterness and instills trust, as both sides recognize each other's integrity.

3) Officially apologizing for its past wrongs will allow a superpower to legitimately address a very serious issue: war sex trafficking. As I mentioned, this dehumanizing practice continues. Having Japan, a superpower with vast technological and intellectual resources, on the right side of this human rights issue can help diminish or end these violations. When nations unite for what is right they can achieve great things.