Condemning Japan over World War II comfort women is as envogue today as global warming with international law makers:
The Foreign Ministry yesterday said Japan should do the right thing and act on a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday that urged Tokyo to apologize and take legal responsibility by compensating so-called comfort women who were made to serve Japanese forces during World War II.
“We hope that the resolution adopted by the European Parliament becomes a catalyst to uphold human values, women’s rights and history,†said Cho Yun-soo, director general of the ministry’s public affairs bureau. “The government hopes that Japan will accept humbly the suggestions by the international community and respond properly.â€
The resolution calls on Tokyo to “formally acknowledge, apologize and accept historical and legal responsibility, in a clear and unequivocal manner, for its Imperial Armed Force’s coercion of young women into sexual slavery.†The resolution suggested that Japan recognize individual rights to claim reparations, “taking into account the age of the survivors.â€Â [Joong Ang Ilbo]
Like global warming, condemning Japan is an easy issue for politicians to get behind because they know nothing bad can come from it because Japan won’t do anything in response and it gives these politicians the ability to play the holier than thou card.  My criticism of this is the same as with the US Congress and the Canadian Parliament; what are the chances the EU issues a resolution condemning the modern day sexual slavery of North Korean women in China? If these politicians really cared about sexual slavery of Korean women why don’t they do something about the sexual slavery of Korean women happening today instead of 60 years ago?
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4:03 pm on December 17th, 2007 1
If the EU is going to play the historical apology game, they should be looking at the brutal imperial pasts of many of their member states.
10:44 am on December 18th, 2007 2
One step at a time.
First step Comfort woman, latter ……
Dont be so quick to point the finger to EU. You also have problems with your past.
4:23 am on December 19th, 2007 3
[...] want Japan to send them instead. The further irony in all this is that the Europeans have just passed a resolution condemning Japan for their World War II past, but they want Japan to help them [...]
4:56 am on December 21st, 2007 4
I agree that Korean government and its people tend to get overboard sometimes for issues such as Dokdo, comfort women, and Yasukuni shrine, but here are the facts. I don’t understand why this is such a hard concept to grasp for you:
Germany – The chancellor kneels and apologizes on behalf of his nation at the Holocaust memorial.
Japan – The prime minister shows “regret†for causing pain to Asian neighbors.
Germany – Accepts Holocaust as fact and makes it illegal to deny it.
Japan – Denies performing human experimentation, denies government role in comfort women, denies the “Rape of Nanking†and other war crimes, cleanses its textbook of any atrocities and war crimes, tries to actively discredit people who bring up the subject.
Germany – National borders brought back to what it was to pre-war level.
Japan – Still disputes borders gained through war and colonialism with Korea, Taiwan, and Russia.
Germany – War criminals prosecuted, some still being sought for in South America today.
Japan – Only a few select Class A criminals convicted, then later added to the Yasukuni shrine as “martyrsâ€.
Germany – Swastika is illegal.
Japan – The “Rising Sun†flag is still flown by Japan Self-Defense forces.
Hmmm…