Making history come alive
It was on this day in 1992, following a front page article in the Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun titled ‘Japanese Army abducted comfort women’, that the Japanese government, represented by Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Kato, was forced to publicly acknowledge some of the facts that same day. This lifted the lid on a controversy that had been raging for well over 50 years. Prior to the outbreak of WW2 the Japanese government recruited Japanese prostitutes to service its soldiers. The official reason given was to prevent the committing of rape crimes by its military personnel. These brothels were rather benignly referred to as comfort stations and the prostitutes were referred to as ‘comfort women’.
This picture shows a very young ‘comfort woman’ being questioned by a British officer after her camp was liberated by the Allies.
Click through to read their tragic and horrifying story
It was otd in 1992, following a front page article in the Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun titled ‘Japanese Army abducted comfort women’, that the Japanese government, represented by Chief Cabinet Secretary, Koichi Kato, was forced to publicly acknowledge some of the facts that same day. This lifted the lid on a controversy that had been raging for well over 50 years. Prior to the outbreak of WW2 the Japanese government recruited Japanese prostitutes to service its soldiers. The official reason given was to prevent the committing of rape crimes by its military personnel. These brothels were rather benignly referred to as comfort stations and the prostitutes were referred to as ‘comfort women’.
However as Japan continued its military expansion during WW2 the military found itself short of Japanese volunteers, and turned to the local population to coerce women into serving into these stations. Many women responded to calls for work as factory workers or nurses, but instead were pressed into sexual slavery. It is estimated that as many as 400 000 women from all over SE Asia were forced by the Japanese military into prostitution. Don’t be lulled by the phrase ‘comfort women’ – the abuse suffered by these women has been well-documented. Many of them were expected to service between 25 and 35 men a day.
It is estimated that only 25 percent of the comfort women survived and that most were unable to have children as a consequence of the multiple rapes or the diseases they contracted. To date the Japanese Government has acknowledged its involvement in the setting up of ‘comfort stations’, but has yet to acknowledge any direct involvement in the actual procurement – against their will – of the ‘comfort women’.
You can read more on the attempts of former ‘comfort women’ to get the Japanese government to accept responsibility here: BBC World - Korean WW2 sex slaves fight on
January 13th, 2009 at 9:29 am
I am quite sure South Africa has a few shocking stories from our past that many people want buried. What angers me is why men find it necessary to rape. You don’t see women fighting in war and still finding time to rape men! It shows the inferiority of men.
January 13th, 2009 at 10:28 am
Man kind is the worst kind of animal on this planet!!!
January 14th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Rape is an evil perpetuated by the animalistic consciousness that pervades society today. The degrading influence of this age is as a result of the supercharged negative atmosphere that is derived from the actions of those that do not care for the consqeuences their evil actions (from the top of government all the way down to the man on the street).
In addition to the above, the desire to enjoy sense gratification like animals is what will result in our inevitable moral and social destruction.
“Inferiority of men” - Such identification with the bodily conception of life makes one see ones self as merely this mortal physical body and not the soul that resides within.
Lets all vy to da lugz….
January 16th, 2009 at 7:35 am
NAME CHANGES
Aside from the already stated problems of inconvinience, arbitory action and controversy I wonder what the result would be of an unbiased professional survey would reveal.
I am fairly certain it would be this:
Who really, realy cares about renaming streetnames eg what is the ranking of priority in their lives? - 20%? I would put it at much less but let us accept this higher figure.
Now explain, clearly to these people the incredible inconvenience and costs. Also how much better this money could be spent on Litter, Housing, Roads etc. I think you would be left with possibly 10%
January 16th, 2009 at 9:13 am
Street Name Changes
This whole process has been a fiasco. The process was steamrollered through the ANC coucillers ignoring due process and protests from all parties concerned.
But, WHY has it taken place in the first place ? To make the names in Durban more representative and to remove name that are offensive to South Africans ?
Well I dont see HOW Brooadway in Durban-North can be offensive to anyone (after all it was so named because it was the widest street north of the Umgeni at the time.)
How do names such as SWAPO, Che Gwevara, Fidel Castro represent anything south african ??
The ANC must just admit all it is is a big ‘Up-Yours’ to all the now minorities and a we in charge now and we will do as we like.