Comfort Women, silent no longer

Why were the Korean Comfort Women “silent” so long? To answer this question, one thing you will need to think about is how much women’s “worth” is tied to their status as virgins or “sexually pure” and how women who are not “pure” are shamed in societies. You also need to reflect on how rape has been characterized as simply an “unfortunate consequence” of war—this is not true, of course; rape does not “just happen.” Why could the words and actions of Japanese officials and government be interpreted as attempts to further silence them?

During the Pacific campaign of World War II, the Japanese committed several atrocities. One of the major atrocities that affected many Korean, Burmese, Filipina, Chinese, and Indonesian women were the comfort stations set up to please the Japanese soldiers. At these comfort stations, women were repeatedly taken advantage of, beaten, and raped by the Japanese soldiers. The horrible event that occurred at comfort stations changed the lives of the women, who where the victims, forever.

The largest group that was affected by these comfort stations was the Korean women. Part of the reason that the Korean women were affected the worst was because Japan had conquered Korea when they invaded Manchuria. The Japanese government ordered young women to participate in factory work, which the Korean government complied with. However, the Korean government did not realize that the real reason that the Japanese asked for these women was to exploit them at the comfort stations. The Japanese believed that if their soldiers’ sexual needs were satisfied then they would fight harder.

One of the major reasons that the Comfort Women were “silent” so long was their status in their own community. Traditionally, in Oriental cultures a woman who is a virgin or “sexually pure” has a higher status than a woman who is not. Also in Oriental cultures, women are not viewed as highly as men and this is even truer if a woman is not pure. The Japanese soldiers stole these women’s virtue at the comfort stations. Another reason that so many of the Comfort Women chose not to speak up until they were older is so that they might possibly obtain a decent marriage. In Oriental cultures if a young woman is pure they can obtain a better marriage that otherwise might not be available to them. It goes without saying, that the Comfort Women felt ashamed that at such a young age they had lost their virginity. They simply did not want to tell their families or others the horrors they had faced in comfort stations.

One way to look at what the Japanese soldiers did to these women was repeatedly rape them. Even today in our society, women who have been raped tend not to talk about the event. This could also be part of the reason that the Korean Comfort Women chose not to say anything. However, this story is not that simple and there are some interesting facts. In the Japanese culture, prostitutes and prostitution has been going on since at least the 1500s. As it was stated in the video Silence Broken, the Korean people had to learn the Japanese language and history. This is important, because the women were 12 to 15 years of age when they arrived at the comfort stations. In reality, they were children. They were also repeatedly drugged with opium. It is possible, that these women were taken to the comfort stations at such a young age they did not fully comprehend what happened till they were older.

In Japan, the government and officials are trying through words and actions to continue to further silence these women and their horrible claims, of what truly happened in World War II. At the lowest level of the Japanese conspiracy, to cover up the truly heinous acts, there are the soldiers. One of the soldiers interviewed in the movie, Silence Broken, stated that the women in the comfort stations were paid far better than if they were working in their homeland. In an opposing view, one of the Comfort Women stated that some were not paid and others were paid very little. The next level of the conspiracy involves the people that recorded the events at the comfort stations. The military officials would court martial the soldiers that raped the Comfort Women. What they considered rape was not using a condom when they were with the women. It is not surprising that later the records of the events were burned, so there was no longer an official record of what happened. The Japanese say that it is their soldiers’ recollection of the events versus the recollection of the events by the Comfort Women.

Unfortunately, this conspiracy continues even higher in the Japanese government. Some of the Japanese scholars that were interviewed in Silence Broken blamed the United States and the Dutch for not following through on the investigation. These scholars put the blame on the US because they surrendered to them at the end of World War II. If the US truly knew what was happening on the Japanese front lines, and chose not to investigate then we are partly to blame. Also, as far as the Japanese government is concerned the lawsuits that the Korean Comfort Women have filed will probably not be heard. The actions of Japanese government and officials are making it seem as though the events never happened. They continue to deny that these women were forced; rather they insist that the women voluntarily participated in the comfort stations. By the Japanese government not wanting to hear these cases, it seems as though they would rather not acknowledge what truly happened. For the Comfort Women, they feel that if they do not try to get their stories out, then once they die the Japanese government will continue to deny these hideous events.

In my opinion, one step that the Japanese government could do is issue a formal apology to these women. However, the Japanese government would need to admit to themselves and others that something happened to warrant an apology. Here in lies the problem. Conventional war crimes such as murder, rape, pillage, etc. are also offenses under the criminal law of every civilized nation. An admission of guilt would be an admission that someone should or could be prosecuted. Out of fear, arrogance or a lack of respect for women, the Japanese government refuses to correct the atrocities of the past. Even though this action could possible prevent these atrocities from happening in the future. The Comfort Women should continue their fight with the hope that they might find some form of closure.

Although it might not be closure, it should be noted that on January 19, 1946 General Douglas MacArthur issued a charter for an international military tribunal for the Far East. The purpose was for the trial of major war criminals in that area. The trial began in Tokyo, Japan in May 1946. The judgment was read on November 12, 1948. The accused were charged with various crimes including conventional war crimes and crimes against humanity. Of the 23 accused, 7 received sentences of death by hanging and 16 were sentenced to life imprisonment.