Comfort Women and other legacies of war

121 Coalition is a national coalition representing over 175 civic organizations. We are united to support the passage of House Resolution 121 that calls upon the government of Japan to apologize for its war crime enslaving over 200,000 girls and women during World War II as “comfort women.”

Dear all,

First of all, I want to thank you for your continued effort, supporting of H.R.121. We count on your tirelss team work to accompish our goal, that is to pass H.R.121. We are in great need more than ever to secure more co-sponsors of HR 121 and herewith I attached the list of those congress members . We should focus on those members who have not co-sponsored yet, either by petition drive or calling/ meeting them whatever possible means that you might have. If your district congress member is already on the board, you can refer to your friends to contact other non-cosponsors. Please visit our website at www.support121.org for petition drive guidelines,
Time is critical and we count on your invaluable work to make it happen.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at osoh@bible.edu
Thanks and Best!

Ok Cha Soh
President
Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues, Inc.

Agence France-Presse (“JAPAN RULING DENIES CHINESE RIGHT TO WAR DAMAGES”, 2007-04-30) reported that Japan’s top court ruled that PRC people do not have the right to seek war reparations, in two landmark verdicts rejecting compensation to World War II sex slaves and forced labourers. The Supreme Court was ruling on the issue for the first time amid continued friction between the two Asian powers over memories of Japanese occupation. The court’s decisions are in line with the Japanese government’s position that war reparations are a matter between nations and not between governments and individuals.

• Questions:
• When a military dictator (Korea’s Park Chung Hee) settles colonial reparations with a mostly democratic nation (Japan circa 1965), did anyone give a hoot about individuals in the first place?
• How can the rightwing Japanese media wonder why no one in the rest of Asia believes the apologies coming out of politicians’ mouths? Abridged version of Kono resolution combined with court rulings: “We’re sorry you were hurt, but we the government don’t owe you anything except our mouths flapping in the wind.”