KAFC Statement regarding the 2015 ‘Comfort Women’ Agreement and its resolution

December 28, 2017

The report produced by the Special Task Force under the Foreign Ministry of South Korea on December 27, 2017 (local time), which thoroughly reviewed the negotiation process that led to the infamous 2015 Agreement between Japan and then South Korean President Park Geun-hye, re-confirmed that the Grandmas’ immediate denouncement of the deal at the time was indeed accurate, courageous, and just condemnation of the sham deal.

The problems of the 2015 Agreement include, but not limited to the following, as exposed through the Task Force report:

1. The victims were excluded during the negotiation process.
2. The Japanese government did not acknowledge nor accept its role and responsibility for the military sexual slavery.
3. The apology from the Prime Minister Abe was indirect and vague.
4. The 1 Billion Yen was not a government reparation, but a charity money.
5. The Agreement did not cover the victims from numerous other victim countries outside of South Korea.
6. It prohibited the South Korean government from using the term ‘Sex Slaves.’
7. It demanded erasure of history by removing monuments in South Korea.
8. It required the South Korean government to be silent on the issue in the international community.
9. It prohibited the South Korean government from supporting the ‘Comfort Women’ memorial projects overseas.
10. It falsely claimed the matter is “resolved finally and irreversibly.”

For years, Grandmas, advocates, UN bodies and various international human rights institutions have been urging the government of Japan to make efforts to provide victim-centered solutions to properly resolve the Japanese military sexual slavery issue based on the international standard for addressing crimes against humanity.

In 2007, the United States Congress unanimously passed the House Resolution 121, urging the Japanese government to accept historical responsibility for its military sexual slavery, and to mandate ongoing education to the Japanese public.

In 2016, sharp criticism was levied against the Japanese government by the UN CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women) for Japan’s persistent efforts to evade its responsibility for its war crimes and deny history.  UN CEDAW pointedly criticized Abe administration for not taking a victim-centered approach in the ‘Comfort Women’ issue, clearly exposing the inadequacy and ill-intended use of the 2015 agreement and the faux claim that the issue has been “finally and irreversibly resolved.”

The Japanese government has turned a deaf ear to these and other demands and recommendations from the international community.  Instead, Japan’s attempt to whitewash and revise history has sharply increased since the 2015 Agreement.

Just in United States, following acts by Japan have taken place:

In the beginning of 2017, the Consul General of Japan to the City of Atlanta, GA stated to the media that the ‘Comfort Women’ were not sex slaves but volunteers and paid prostitutes.

In February of 2017, the Japanese government submitted an amicus curiae brief in the United States Supreme Court in the Gingery vs. City of Glendale case, on behalf of the plaintiffs who are the residents of Japanese descent, seeking removal of the Peace Monument from Glendale’s Central Park.  In the brief, Japan said the removal of the ‘Comfort Women’ Statue in Glendale is a “core national interest” of Japan.

Very recently, the City of Osaka, Japan severed a 60-year sister city relationship with San Francisco over the acceptance of the ‘Comfort Women’ statue into the City’s property.

Now is the time – if not too late already – to finally resolve the issue of the Japanese military sexual slavery, according to the 7 demands defined by the Grandmas and the advocate groups.  These 7 demands to the Japanese government were formulated based on the international standards to resolve historical issues, NONE of which have been addressed in the 2015 Agreement.

The 7 demands are:

1. Acknowledgement of Japan’s military sexual slavery
2. Comprehensive investigation into the crimes
3. Formal apology by the Cabinet decision
4. Government reparations to all victims
5. Prosecution of the criminals
6. Ongoing education in Japan’s history and textbooks
7. Building Memorials and Museums to remember victims and to preserve history

Japan must enact a law that criminalizes history revisionism and denial of the military sexual slavery, as Germany did, instead of worshipping and glorifying the past war criminals.

It must be recognized that this issue cannot be resolved through a bilateral, political negotiation, but a multi-party negotiation including all victims from numerous other victim countries, leading support groups, and the international human rights institutions such as UN, and all governments where the victims reside because it is a universal human rights issue that must involve all interest groups.   The government of South Korea should lead the effort to renegotiate with all parties involved, and the government of Japan should consent to such negotiation and work toward a final resolution based on the aforementioned 7 demands.

This issue will never fade away despite futile and ill-intended attempts by the Japanese government.  Japan should follow the example of Germany to reach a comprehensive resolution for ALL victims, based on the victims’ demands and the international standards. <End>