Okay, I’ll warn anyone reading this: it’s definitely not a light post. So please skip this if you don’t want to read about anything tragic.
I came across the story of comfort women today. Their story is incredibly cruel and sad and horrifying. I was reminded of my high school Japanese History class where we learned about the Nanking Massacre (a.k.a. The Rape of Nanking). As I’ve said before, I’m not a political activist by any means, but I don’t know how anyone can read these women’s stories and not be moved. From The Comfort Women Project:
The comfort women… categorically refers to women of various ethnic and national backgrounds and social circumstances who became sexual laborers for the Japanese troops before and during the Second World War. …There is no way to determine precisely how many women were forced to serve as comfort women. The estimate ranges between 80,000 and 200,000, about 80% of whom, it is believed, were Korean. Japanese women and women of other occupied territories (such as Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Burma and the Pacific islands) were also used as comfort women.
Every Wednesday since 1992, individuals (including former comfort women) and group members have demonstrated outside of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. The reality is that the surviving comfort women are older — many of whom are dying. These women deserve a sincere apology, and full disclosure of the terror they were forced to endure. The Japanese goverment have produced some half-ass apologies, and will barely admit to their involvement. In fact, for years they denied any involvement until documents surfaced proving otherwise.
I’ve included some artwork painted by former Korean comfort women, and links to more information, including how you can help.
- House of Sharing where some surviving comfort women currently reside
- Interesting article from Harper’s Magazine with insight on U.S. political involvement
- How you can help: contact your local representative and call attention to this issue in any way you can
Lastly, here are some personal accounts from former Korean and Filipino comfort women.
5 Comments
This is a difficult subject to address, but I’m always glad when anyone brings light to it. I’d like to recommend the book Comfort Woman by Nora Okja Keller. It’s fiction but very strongly and poetically written–very beautiful.
I found your blog via Mama Nabi’s. I’d love to link you, if you don’t mind.
That’s so funny, because I was just reading your blog (by way of Kim — diapers, budgest & paint). Linking up would be great. Thanks!
Thank you for the recommendation too. I think I actually had that one in my amazon cart. After I read about their plight the other day, I had to learn more.
This is something I’ve always felt passionate about, regarding the fact that it has not been addressed to the fullest. I wrote a lot about it during my grad student days. It’s heinous that the Japanese government still ignores it as a non-incident. I saw a documentary almost 20 years ago in which former comfort women who were abandoned in southeast Asia were interviewed… they still lived in shame because of what was done to them… The Japanese army, after their amry (okay, I do have calm down… it always gets me!)
oops - didn’t finish that thought… the Japanese army, after being defeated, withdrew but left the comfort women wherever they took them. Another thing that pisses me off is that some rewriters of history also contend that these women “volunteered” to be patriotic. As far as I’m concerned, these women have been raped in more than one sense of the word - and as long as the Japanese don’t acknowledge their existence and apologize PROFUSELY, they’re still being raped. (Sorry again…. I’ll stop now.)
I completely agree. The more I read about it the other day, the worse it got. I just couldn’t believe the injustice surrounding this issue. And the ‘volunteer’ argument — it’s just disgusting. I can’t even imagine surviving through what these women had to endure. I don’t know how they did. And yet, they still manage to go to the demonstrations every Wednesday… it’s inspiring. I really hope these women get justice. But it seems like unless Japan feels pressure, they won’t. And that is a travesty.