Australian 'Comfort Woman' Survivor to Testify Before Congress on February 15

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by JG57_Rall

Hi Islander,
Wow. I sure am glad you pointed out that those comfort girls were volunteers. I almost believed this and the other girls stories.

Ex-S.Korea Sex Slaves Recall Humiliation

By BO-MI LIM
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 7, 2007; 5:14 AM


GWANGJU, South Korea -- Lee Ok-seon's three years as a sex slave for Japanese soldiers began on a summer day when two men snatched her off a street in broad daylight. Before she realized what was happening, she was on a train to China, where humiliation and brutal beatings awaited.

She was just 15, one of thousands of girls and women across Asia who were kidnapped and forced into providing sex for Japanese troops during World War II.

Among the few still alive in South Korea today, she was incensed to hear Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe say last week that there was no proof they were coerced into prostitution.

His comments came as the U.S. House of Representatives considers a resolution urging Japan to formally apologize for its treatment of the so-called "comfort women."

"They took away other people's young daughters only to beat them to death, make them sick to death and starve them to death," said Lee, her speech slurred because she is missing her lower front teeth from a beating she said she suffered as a sex slave.

"And now they say there was no coercion in taking us. How evil are they?" she said Tuesday in Gwangju, 30 miles south of Seoul, where she and eight other women share a shelter for former sex slaves that includes a museum.

Now 79, Lee is among 113 remaining South Korean survivors of the Japanese military brothels that were widespread throughout Asia in the 1930s and '40s. For years the women have staged weekly rallies at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, demanding an apology and compensation from Tokyo.

Japan acknowledged in the 1990s that its military set up and ran brothels for its troops. But it has rejected most compensation claims, saying they were settled by postwar treaties. And though the government issued an apology in 1993, it was never approved by parliament.

Abe said Monday there is no need for Japan to apologize again, and his government made it clear Wednesday that it was sticking to that position.

"The U.S. resolution is not based on objective facts and does not take into consideration the responses that we have taken so far. Therefore, we will not offer a fresh apology," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki.
The resolution does not recommend that Japan pay reparations.

It does urge Japan to reject those who say the sexual enslavement never happened and to educate children about the women's experiences.
Historians say thousands of women _ as many as 200,000 by some accounts _ worked in the brothels.

But prominent Japanese scholars and politicians routinely deny direct military involvement or the use of force in rounding up the women, blaming private contractors for any abuses. The government also has questioned the 200,000 women figure.

Abe's comments touched off fresh criticism from China, South Korea and the Philippines, which say Tokyo has not fully atoned.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing urged Japan to "stand up to this part of history, take responsibility and seriously view and properly handle this issue."

Lee said she was abducted in July 1942 in the southern city of Ulsan. Two large men grabbed her by the arms while she was on her way to the restaurant where she worked. She kicked and screamed, to no avail.

She was thrown into a truck with five Korean girls _ also about 15 years old _ and taken by train to Yanji in northeastern China, which was occupied by Japan at the time. There she said she was confined to a brothel and forced to "serve as many soldiers as we can to pay them back for providing us clothes and food."

A woman might have sex with as many as 30 soldiers a day. Typically she worked in a 40-square-foot room furnished with a wooden bed and a hard mattress, according to replica at the museum in Gwangju. Often the only other object was a tin basin, dimly lit by a single bulb.

Women who refused to comply were beaten and stabbed with knives, Lee said, showing scars on her right arm and foot. She said she suffered lasting damage to her uterus and nearly went deaf from the frequent blows.

Many women died, if not from the beatings then from starvation, she said, and their bodies were tossed out on the streets "to be eaten by dogs."

One of her friends at the brothel became pregnant and the baby was taken away at birth, never to be seen by its mother again.

After the war ended, the stigma stayed with the women.

Like many former sex slaves, Moon Pil-ki said she couldn't even think of marrying because she was so ashamed of her past.

"It wasn't my fault, but still I was shameful," Moon said. "Do you know how much it hurts to have your whole youth stolen? They made us all cripples."
"If I ever see Abe, I want to slap him, and knock some sense into his head

This is a copy of an ex Comfort Girls story.
It does not sound like she was or the other girls were recruited, it sounds more like they were shanghaied. Thanks for pointing out that these girls were lying, and that they were just a bunch of whores that volunteered to go to Japan.
Rall

Rall I am aghasted. I hope you are being cynical towards Islander. These women were not whores as you have said in your posting they were used as prostitutes by force by the Japanese Military. And even though Prime Minister Abe has denied this and blames contractors it still means those contractors were paid by the Japanese Military and Government to supply these women to be used as Comfort Women. Who are you to say nearly 200,000 women are lying and the proof of such. Quiet a few of these women were Western Women captured by the Japanese in such places as Malaya Indonesia Singapore etc. You have managed to turn around and in one sentance and said all Comfort Women were Whores based on one posting by Islander and that over 200,000 women with similar stories of abuse rape beatings starvation are all lying whores who stuck their hand up to volunterr to be prostitutes for the Japanese Military. I bet mother will be pleased when you tell her this Rall.

And I suppose you believe none of the other atrocities occured either Rall. Committed by the Japanese during and before WW2. If Islander comes back in here and said the Princess Alexandria Hospital Massacre didn't occur in 1942 on the Island of Singapore you would believe it. That the Nurses were not brutally raped and the doctors and the staff plus all the patients were not shot beheaded or bayonetted to death its just a fabrication made up by the English. Good god perhaps you need to read this from the Japanese Government in 1993

MOFA: Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the result of the study on the issue of "comfort women"

Which recognized what had occured prior to WW2 and during WW2 to women from Asian Countries. If you had not ralized that the Government of Japan had also a fund for Comfort Women but most of these women do not except this as a formal appology by the Japanese Govt or fair compensation for their life as comfort women. But these women are quiet rightly saying they have received no formal apology from the Japanese Govt even though the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono Statement had shown that Japan had indeed been involved in this dispictable act against these women 60 to 70 years ago. It was virtually an admission of guilt but with excuses that the Japanese Govt issued in 1993 to these women. Perhaps you need to google search the internet on the subject of Comfort Women a bit more before making such a statement from 1 piece of documentation that Islander has put in this site. And the current Japanese Govt has virtually done a backflip on this issue from the Japanese Govt of 1993 and is denying the issues of the Comfort Women yet the Asian Womens Fund still exsist. And can be donated to as such. If as such as you and Islander claim is a farce then why had the Japanese Govt recognised their own studies prior to 1993 on this issue. Then issued an half felt apology by the Govt set up the Asian Womens Fund then 14 years later Prime Minister Abe of Japan says its virtually all bullshit and says these women virtually volunteered for being prostitutes. You tell me Rall if that makes any sense to you because it certainly doesn't make sense to me as for Japan saying one thing 14 odd years ago now saying something completely different. But one thing Rall you have no excuse calling these women Whores and should be ashamed of yourself in doing so

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by DerAdlerIstGelandet

Sorry Emac but that is wrong.

Germany did not invade Poland until 0440 on Sept. 1, 1939. It was called Fall Weiss.

There was a "staged" Polish Attack on 31 Aug 1939 that the Germans used as there reasoning for the invasion.

The invasion of Poland by Germany was on Sept. 1, 1939 and went down as follows.

0440: Luftwaffe attack Polish town of Wieluń.

0445: German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish military transit depot at Westerplatte, in the Free City of Danzig on the Baltic Sea.

0800: Without formal declaration of war German ground forces attack Poland near the town of Mokra.

Later that day, the Germans opened fronts along Poland's western, southern and northern borders, while German aircraft began raids on Polish cities.

The Allied governments declared war on Germany on September 3; however, they failed to provide Poland with any meaningful support.

Yes I got it wrong about Poland/Germany Adler. However war was not declared by the British and Commonwealth Governments and of course the French Government until 3rd September 1939 but still England gave Germany 48 hours to respond which was from the 1st September 1939 to 3rd September 1939. And yes Adler there wasn't much support England could give Poland at that stage except declare war on Germany which they had done by 3rd September 1939 by the British Parliament at the time

[JG57_Rall]

Emac44.
Of course I was being sarcastic! I was shocked by Islanders post. And think if anyone should be ashamed it would be Islander. As well as the whole Japanese Nation. I presumed that anyone reading my post would understand that!
Rall

[Emac44]

Ok Rall I understand you was being sarcastic. But at first reading it didn't come of like that and especially your last 2 sentances about the women being WHORES. I apparently didn't see it as you being sarcastic to Islander and took as an insult to these women who had suffered greatly. A misunderstanding on my part of what you was doing

[JG57_Rall]

Originally Posted by Emac44

Ok Rall I understand you was being sarcastic. But at first reading it didn't come of like that and especially your last 2 sentances about the women being WHORES. I apparently didn't see it as you being sarcastic to Islander and took as an insult to these women who had suffered greatly. A misunderstanding on my part of what you was doing

No problem, My sarcasam was not sharp enough or clear enough. Let me put it another way. If that happened to girls from Vermont we would burn the "mother@#$*ers",

house to the ground and shoot anything trying to run away! But being a gentleman I posted an article from a legit news agency. with what I thought were digs. Oh well, I believe the women and thier families should be compensated and those responsible own up to their actions.

Rall:

[Emac44]

As I said Rall. have met many ex POWs in my time all had same story or similar stories to tell whilst POWs under the Japs. I do not blame the generation of today whose grandfathers committed crimes but I have no use for denials by the Grand children what their Grandparents did during WW2 as they are trying to protect sacred ancestors syndrome. Simple fess up like the Germans have done and admit the guilt

[Cojimar 1945]

One thing I still don't get is why the Japanese leaders would want their country to be defeated. Having Japan's cities destroyed, its navy largely annihilated, etc seems like a horrible thing for Japan's leaders to want.

The Japanese displayed great cruelty towards others but I don't understand why they would want Japan itself to be devastated.

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by Cojimar 1945

One thing I still don't get is why the Japanese leaders would want their country to be defeated. Having Japan's cities destroyed, its navy largely annihilated, etc seems like a horrible thing for Japan's leaders to want.

The Japanese displayed great cruelty towards others but I don't understand why they would want Japan itself to be devastated.

Stupidity?

The mentality was to have their armies fight to the death - similar to what we see today with regards to many terrorists.

[plan_D]

It's based on the Bushido code of honour. To retreat from battle is a disgrace in Japan; and this translates to a retreat from war. The Japanese leadership did not want to be dishonoured and would fight to the death. Losing their country in the process.

They surrendered because it was blatantly obvious that the country would become a wasteland. And while Japanese honour would remain intact, the country wouldn't. So what would be the point?

[Emac44]

Simply put the Japanese Mentality at the time as Plan has said was the Bushido Code. A warrior mentality. Death before dishonour. It came from the Samurai attitude that the the more Militaristic aspects of the Japanese Govt and Military tapped into after World War 1. The Government and the Military literally turned the population by education propaganda radio newspapers schools programming and every type of device they could come up with to infuse the population with this idea. They also infused the Japanese Population in Emperor Worship. Literally turning the Emperor into a Japanese version of a Sun God. To die for the Emperor was considered to be the utmost devotion under this ideology a Japanese could aspire to. If the 2 Atomic bombs had not been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the Japanese Military and Government would have literally turned the whole 4 home islands of Japan into one massive Bushido Style Military/Citizen Fortress infused with the afore mentioned code. As for the Japanese themselves the individual was there for one purpose to serve the Emperor even unto death. This was mixed with Buddist/Shinto religious dogma as well all mixed in with the Bushido Code and with the aid of then modern technology became a way of life in wartime Japan

[islander]

Originally Posted by JG57_Rall

Lee said she was abducted in July 1942 in the southern city of Ulsan. Two large men grabbed her by the arms while she was on her way to the restaurant where she worked. She kicked and screamed, to no avail.

She was thrown into a truck with five Korean girls _ also about 15 years old _ and taken by train to Yanji in northeastern China, which was occupied by Japan at the time. There she said she was confined to a brothel and forced to "serve as many soldiers as we can to pay them back for providing us clothes and food."

A woman might have sex with as many as 30 soldiers a day. Typically she worked in a 40-square-foot room furnished with a wooden bed and a hard mattress, according to replica at the museum in Gwangju. Often the only other object was a tin basin, dimly lit by a single bulb.

Women who refused to comply were beaten and stabbed with knives, Lee said, showing scars on her right arm and foot. She said she suffered lasting damage to her uterus and nearly went deaf from the frequent blows.

Many women died, if not from the beatings then from starvation, she said, and their bodies were tossed out on the streets "to be eaten by dogs."

One of her friends at the brothel became pregnant and the baby was taken away at birth, never to be seen by its mother again.

Thanks for the article, Rall.

I don't think she is lying. I think she is telling the truth about her experience. I trust that Prime Minister Abe was not denying her story because that was not the point he was trying to make. What was he trying to say, then?

OK, let's take another look at what Ms. Lee said, in the above quote, very closely and very carefully this time. If you do, you can easily notice that Ms. Lee does not say who did it. Not even once, doesn't she? Was it done by Japanese soldiers or Korean brothel owners, or someone else, for that matter? This is a pattern being pointed out for years in Japan. Obviously she's been through horrifying experiences. No questions about it. She must be telling the truth, but we just don't know who did it, and we are unable to find out who did it.

Thus, Mr. Abe's comment: there is no evidence (known to us that proves the Japanese authorities did it). I don't think he was attempting to deny the whole thing.

[Emac44]

Originally Posted by islander

Thanks for the article, Rall.

I don't think she is lying. I think she is telling the truth about her experience. I trust that Prime Minister Abe was not denying her story because that was not the point he was trying to make. What was he trying to say, then?

OK, let's take another look at what Ms. Lee said, in the above quote, very closely and very carefully this time. If you do, you can easily notice that Ms. Lee does not say who did it. Not even once, doesn't she? Was it done by Japanese soldiers or Korean brothel owners, or someone else, for that matter? This is a pattern being pointed out for years in Japan. Obviously she's been through horrifying experiences. No questions about it. She must be telling the truth, but we just don't know who did it, and we are unable to find out who did it.

Thus, Mr. Abe's comment: there is no evidence (known to us that proves the Japanese authorities did it). I don't think he was attempting to deny the whole thing.

Doesn't deny who done what Islander. Does Prime Minister Abe expect Miss Lee to say it was aliens who kidnapped her. You know exactly where this women ended up in and for what reasons. It matters little who supplied the woman for use of Japanese Troops the QUESTION IS WHY SHE HAD TO BE FORCED IN FIRST PLACE and used at end place as a prostitute for the Japanese Army against her will. Lets examine if it was contractors. Who employed the contractors in the first place and who supplied the market for contractors to operate in. The Japanese Govt with the Japanese Military in both cases Islander. Are you trying to suggest that the Japanese Govt and Military at the time didn't take notice of each other. that the Japanese Military operated without authority of the Emperors Govt during WW2 and the contractors were employed by some fictious entity who was neither Govt or Miltary of Japan. If Miss Lee doesn't say who violated her rights other Comfort Women have said who it was with out compunction. Mrs Jan Ruff O'Herne an Australian women who was forced and raped by the Japanese Military and who has protested the Japanese Embassy in Australia for many years makes no such distinction about who forced her to be a Comfort Woman to be used by Japanese Military. She lays the BLAME AT THE FEET OF THE JAPANESE GOVERMENT AND MILITARY and she is pretty adamant who did what. Prime Minister Abe may try and deny a simple country girl from Korea. but he can't deny a western educated Australian Woman with the same bullshit he is trying with Miss Lee from Korea. You want to split hairs Islander. We have a saying in Australia. You are pissing up a gum tree with this line of crap about denying the exsistence of Comfort Women from WW2. No evidence according to Prime Minister Abe Known to us that the Japanese Authorities did it. Yeah right and I suppose there is no evidence about Nanking Singapore Hong Kong Burma Thai Railways. All the massacres by Japanese Troops on Civilians all through Asia and Pacifc. No evidence according to us (JAPAN). If no evidence Islander why the apology in 1993 to Comfort Women and the set up of the Asian Womens Fund by Japan and now a backflip by Prime Minister Abe just recently. No evidence that Japanese Govt is telling the truth you mean Islander. Oh and here is what your own Japanese Govt had to say in 1993 web site below

MOFA: Statement by the Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono on the result of the study on the issue of "comfort women"

Very interesting reading Islander. I suggest you read the statement very carefuly from your own Govt from 1993 Islander. Read it word for word. In less then 14 years your present Govt is trying to white wash it and deny what your War Time Govt and Military was responsible for during WW2. Put quiet simple Islander. Your Military created a market and a hideous one at that against all human rights. Military with Contractors acted upon supply of this market and your War Time Government funded the market of trading in slavery of women for forced prostitution against these women

Do not take this as a personal attack on yourself Islander but understand this most of us are very well educated and very much aware what the Japanese Military and Government of Japan had done during WW2. for me I do not blame the current generation of Japanese for crimes committed by your grand parents during WW2. But if you deny that your grandparents committed such crimes then I will let you know in no uncertain terms that is bullshit ok

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Originally Posted by islander

Thus, Mr. Abe's comment: there is no evidence (known to us that proves the Japanese authorities did it). I don't think he was attempting to deny the whole thing.

No that is denial. When you have thousands of women saying it happened and there is actual evidence of it and you say something like that, that is denial.

[Cojimar 1945]

The amount of atrocities attributed to Japan during the WWII era is simply so enormous that trying to deny comfort women seems pretty silly.

The Japanese would still have to deal with all the horriffic biological warfare experiments that were conducted on humans, all the various massacres in China, the killing of POW's, etc. If the Japanese admit to all these other heinous crimes why would comfort women be an issue?

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

For the sakes of these women before they are all gone. Closure for them...