"No Evidence to Prove There Was Coercion"

The recent historical dispute to flair up between Korea and Japan is the comfort women issue.  What sparked the latest controversy was US Congressman Mike Honda’s resolution to condemn Japan for World War II sexual slavery and demand an apology from the Prime Minister of Japan.  Like I mentioned before the Japanese Prime Minister should apologize, but not because of some resolution from Mike Honda who would rather condemn sexual slavery of Koreans that happened 60 years ago, but is willing to make excuses for sexual slavery of Koreans happening today in China. 

With that said, I cannot believe the Japanese Prime Minister who has at least tried to be conciliatory about the Yasukuni issue would say something as outrageous as this (via Marmot):

Japan’s nationalist prime minister denied Thursday that the country’s military forced women into sexual slavery during World War II, casting doubt on a past government apology and jeopardizing a fragile detente with his Asian neighbors.

The comments by Shinzo Abe, a member of a group of lawmakers pushing to roll back a 1993 apology to the sex slaves, were his clearest statement as prime minister on military brothels known in Japan as “comfort stations.”

Historians say some 200,000 women — mostly from Korea and China — served in the Japanese military brothels throughout Asia in the 1930s and 1940s. Many victims say they were kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery by Japanese troops.

But Abe, who since taking office in September has promoted patriotism in Japan’s schools and a more assertive foreign policy, told reporters there was no proof the women were forced into prostitution.

“The fact is, there is no evidence to prove there was coercion,” Abe said.

His remarks contradicted evidence in Japanese documents unearthed in 1992 that historians said showed military authorities had a direct role in working with contractors to forcibly procure women for the brothels.

There is some debate over the translation of what Prime Minister Abe said, but clearly he is out of line on this issue simply because he is going against the official recognition and apology the Japanese government gave in 1993 to the women effected by World War II sexual slavery.  The Japanese government has clearly all ready accepted the fact that the Imperial Japanese Army committed sexual slavery of primarily Korean women, but why is Prime Minister Abe trying to change the Japanese government’s stance on this issue?  I know he is sagging in the opinion polls in Japan, but is this really going to give him a boost? 

Plus he is allowing the demagogues like President Roh in South Korea to come out and condemn him:

Japan must atone for the atrocities committed during World World Two through concrete measures, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said on Thursday, adding it was key to better ties between the two countries.

Roh in a speech marking the 1919 uprising in Korea against Japanese colonial rule said the international community had not forgiven Tokyo for its wartime aggression.

"(Japan) may try to cover the sky with its hand, but we were able to confirm once again that the international community does not forgive the atrocities committed by imperial Japan," the South Korean president said.

Japan colonized the Korean peninsula from 1910 until its defeat in World War Two in 1945. Former Japanese prime ministers have apologized for the country’s colonial past, but Roh has said Tokyo had not done enough to back its words with action.

"We hope that Japan will not try to glorify or justify a mistaken past, but instead show sincerity by following its conscience and the international community’s generally accepted precedent," he said.

I consider President Roh and demagogue on this issue simply because he has no creditability to advocate for these women when he continues to do absolutely nothing about the plight of North Korean sex slaves in China now.  What are the chances President Roh would make a statement like this towards China’s modern day sexual slavery of Korean women? 

Like I mentioned before in regards to the Yasukuni issue the historical problems with its Asian neighbors is what is preventing Japan from truly reaching the global status it should have for a nation of 120 million people with the world’s second largest economy.  For a nation that wants a seat on the UN Security Council I really have to wonder if the nation can have the creditability to handle the major pressing issues of the day.  If Japan can’t even come to a resolution over the Yasukuni, comfort women, or Dokdo conflicts how can we expect them to handle something as volatile as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict?

Once again you can read more at Marmot’s Hole and Japundit.