Criticism to Yomiuri's editorial about the former Korean comfort women （慰安婦問題： 読売社説批判）

　　

これは、従軍慰安婦問題についての英文記事です。この特殊な形態の記事の意図と要旨についての日本語の説明は最後にあります。特に英語使いでない方はそこだけ読んでいただければ...。
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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak met on December 18th 2011 in Kyoto. During their discussion, Lee’s focus was especially on the issues of the Korean “comfort women” forced into wartime sex slavery during the World War II.

The purposes of this special post in English are, first, to remember that the issue on the comfort women was discussed between these two leaders and second, to give my comment on a specific opinion denying the history of the comfort women or the necessity to recognize Japan’s responsibility to apologize and compensate them.

Indeed, this opinion, often given by Japanese right-wing revisionists, seems to be largely accepted in the Japanese public opinion, represented for example by the editorial of the Yomiuri Shimbun of December 20th, 2011. As Yomiuri’s editorial is written and published in English in front of the international community, I think it is logical to comment it in English.

This post contains :
1. The reports by the the Korea Times, by Yonhap News and by the Japan Times (Kyodo) ;
2. Yomiuri's editorial of December 20th, 2011 which I will criticize in this post ;
3. My opinion on Yomiuri’s editorial.

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1. The reports by the the Korea Times, by YONHAP NEWS and by the Japan Times (Kyodo) :

●THE KOREA TIMES
Lee presses Japan on 'comfort women'
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/12/116_101053.html
12-18-2011 17:29

President Lee Myung-bak, left, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda before holding a summit at the Kyoto State Guest House in Kyoto, Japan, Sunday. Lee urged Noda to take prompt action to address the long-ignored issue of “comfort women,” but Noda replied that Japan’s legal position over the thorny matter remains unchanged. / Yonhap

Tokyo renews territorial claims over Dokdo

By Lee Tae-hoon

President Lee Myung-bak called on Japan to promptly act on the long-ignored issue of “comfort women,” its wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, Sunday, warning that it could determine the future of bilateral ties.

"In order for the two countries to become true partners for peace and stability in the region, Japan should have the genuine courage to resolve as a priority the military comfort women issue, which remains a stumbling block between the two nations," Lee said.

He made the remarks in a summit with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in Kyoto, Japan, amid growing tensions over the thorny issue.

Noda, however, categorically rejected Lee’s call; and later complained to the Japanese press about Korea’s plan to build a pier on Korea’s eastern most islets of Dokdo to accommodate larger vessels.

He said that Japan's position remains unchanged that its responsibility to compensate the comfort women was completely resolved in 1965 when Seoul and Tokyo signed the Korea-Japan Basic Treaty to normalize diplomatic relations.

“I’m sure you understand our government’s legal stance over the issue,” the Japanese leader told Lee. “We will continue to exercise wisdom from a humanitarian perspective."

He demanded Seoul remove the “Peace Monument,” a life-size statue, placed in front of the Japanese Embassy last week to commemorate the endeavors of the former sex slaves seeking truth and compensation over Tokyo’s atrocities during World War II.

“To my understanding, our working level officials have sought the removal of the statue,” he said. “I also request President Lee to uninstall it.”

President Lee flatly rejected the demand, saying that the monument would not have been set up if Tokyo had come up with any sincere measure to resolve the problem.

He warned that Japan would see "second and third" statues being installed unless Tokyo takes necessary measures to tackle the issue.

According to presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha, Lee spent nearly 90 percent of his time addressing the comfort women issue over the one-hour talks with Noda, putting aside economic matters, including a possible free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries.

Park said Lee told Noda that the comfort women issue is becoming increasingly urgent as only 63 women who have publicly identified themselves as former sex slaves are still alive and their average age is 86.

This year alone, 16 government-registered former comfort women passed away.

He added that Lee raised the issue in a strong manner because he sees it as a litmus test in deciding whether Korea can expand ties with Japan including signing an FTA and cooperating in bilateral security.

Nevertheless, Noda told the Japanese press shortly after the summit that Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba made a protest in a meeting with Chun Young-woo, the top foreign affairs and security advisor to Lee on Saturday.

“Gemba told him that Takeshima (Dokdo) is our territory and expressed regrets over construction activities on the island,” Nada said.

In this regard, Seoul underlined that it does not see a need to respond to Japan’s groundless claims, saying Dokdo is not a disputed territory as it has long been part of Korea’s history.

Political observers say Lee touched on the comfort women issue for the first time since he took office in 2008 to shore up his plunging popularity.

Cheong Wa Dae has been under attack over suspicions that it was involved in an attack that paralyzed the website of the country’s election watchdog on Oct. 26 to prevent lawyer-turned-civic activist Park Won-soon from being elected as Seoul mayor.

They also noted that Noda intentionally addressed the Dokdo issue, to score political brownie points by provoking nationalism.

[e-mail]
(End of the citation)

●YONHAP NEWS
(2nd LD) Lee strongly urges Japan to resolve 'comfort women' issue By Chang Jae-soon
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2011/12/18/43/0301000000AEN20111218001100315F.HTML
2011/12/18 12:05 KST

KYOTO, Japan, Dec. 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urged Japan in an unusually strong tone Sunday to resolve long-running grievances over Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of Korean women, calling the issue a "stumbling block" in relations between the two countries.

Lee made the appeal during what officials described as "tense" summit talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held in this ancient Japanese city of Kyoto under the shadow of fresh tensions over the issue of the so-called "comfort women."

Historians say that tens of thousands of Asian women, mostly Koreans, were forced to work at front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during the war. Korea was a colony of Japan from 1910 to 1945.

"South Korea and Japan should become true partners for peace and stability in the region, and for that, we need to have the genuine courage of resolving as a priority the issue of military comfort women, which has been a stumbling block between the two countries," Lee said at the start of the meeting.

The comfort women issue is becoming increasingly urgent as most victims are elderly and may die before they receive compensation or an apology from Japan. A former Korean sex slave died this past week, leaving only 63 living.

Tokyo has been ignoring Seoul's demand for official talks on compensating the aging Korean women. Seoul has been making the demand since its Constitutional Court ruled in August that it is unconstitutional for the Seoul government to make no specific efforts to settle the matter with Tokyo.

Japan maintains that all issues regarding its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula, including the comfort women, were settled in a 1965 package compensation deal under which the two countries normalized their relations.

On Sunday, Lee spent most of about an hour in talks with Noda on the comfort women issue, repeatedly raising the matter without talking about economic issues, such as a possible free trade agreement between the two countries, which Japan has called for, presidential spokesman Park Jeong-ha said
In response to Lee's appeal, Noda said that Japan's "legal position" remains unchanged, but that the country will try to "exercise wisdom from the humanitarian perspective," the spokesman said.

Noda also demanded that South Korea remove the "Peace Monument" set up in front of its embassy in Seoul that civic activists unveiled this past week in memory of the former sex slaves and to call for Japan's compensation for them.

But Lee rejected the demand, saying that the monument would not have been set up if "Japan had shown a little bit of interest" in resolving the issue. Lee also warned that Japan would see "second and third" statues being set up unless the country takes sincere steps to address the problem, according to the spokesman.

A senior presidential aide said that Lee raised the comfort women issue in such a strong manner because he sees the matter as a litmus test for deciding whether South Korea can expand cooperation with Japan to include a free trade agreement and bilateral security cooperation.

Upon arrival in Japan on Saturday, Lee issued a similar warning that the matter would remain a thorn "forever" unless it's resolved now, given the advanced ages of most victims.

"Unless we resolve this issue, Japan will have the burden of being unable to resolve an outstanding issue between the two countries forever," Lee said during a meeting in Osaka a day earlier with Korean residents, stressing that time is running short as aging victims will soon pass away.

"Now there are not many left. This year alone, 16 of them passed away. In the not-distant future, all of them will pass away," he said. "Resolving this issue while they are alive will be of big help for the two countries to move forward toward the future, and I believe that this is an issue that can be resolved."

After the summit, the two leaders jointly visited a temple.

Lee was scheduled to return home later Sunday.

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(End of the citation)

●The Japan Times Online
■Lee pressures Noda on 'comfort women'
Korean leader demands top priority; Noda hints at 'humanitarian' efforts
Kyodo
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111218x1.html
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011

KYOTO — South Korean President Lee Myung Bak on Sunday urged Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to put priority on resolving the long-standing issue of compensation for women forced into wartime sex slavery, making his first specific comment on the matter at a bilateral summit since taking office in 2008.
In their talks in Kyoto, Noda said the "comfort women" issue has already been "settled," but added that efforts are being made from a "humanitarian standpoint."
Most of Lee's remarks to Noda were about the politically sensitive issue, with around 40 minutes of the 60-minute talks devoted to the topic, the South Korean presidential office said. The talks raise concerns that bilateral ties, which have been friendly since Noda took the helm on Sept. 2, might become shaky as the two countries aim to bolster economic cooperation.
At the outset of their meeting at the Kyoto State Guest House, Lee called on Noda to have "sincere courage to resolve preferentially the comfort women issue, which is an obstacle to bilateral relations."
Noda told reporters after the talks that he conveyed Japan's position to Lee, while emphasizing the importance of preventing such pending issues from hurting bilateral ties.
Their talks come amid growing calls in South Korea to address the issue of compensation for comfort women, a euphemistic term for those forced into sexual servitude by Imperial Japanese troops during the war.
The issue has gained renewed attention since a statue dedicated to the women was erected last Wednesday in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
During Sunday's summit, Noda voiced regret over the statue and repeated Japan's call to remove it as soon as possible.
Earlier calls to have the statue blocked or removed have thus far been turned down by the South Korean government.
In August, a South Korean court ruled that it is unconstitutional for the government not to make an effort to resolve the issue of Tokyo refusing to directly compensate the comfort women, prompting Seoul to press for bilateral negotiations on compensation.
Japan, which has repeatedly claimed the issue was officially settled by a bilateral treaty in 1965 that normalized diplomatic ties, has rejected Seoul's call.
Political analysts say Lee's weakening grip on power may also be a factor for raising the issue, as he may feel the need to take a tough stance toward Japan on the emotional topic to avoid further domestic criticism of his government.
During a gathering in Osaka on Saturday, Lee, who was born there in 1941, expressed hope the Japanese government will make a "political decision" and said the issue "can be resolved any time if Japan will show more sincerity" in resolving the issue of wartime sex slavery.
Compensation for the thousands of women is one of the thorny historical issues related to Japan's brutal 1910 to 1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
In 1993, then Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono acknowledged in a statement that the women were forcibly recruited into sexual servitude at the request of the Imperial Japanese Army and apologized to the victims.
Offering money as a gesture of atonement, the Asian Women's Fund was set up in 1995 at the initiative of the Japanese government. But many comfort women rejected the cash, and the fund, which disbanded in 2007, was criticized as an attempt by Japan to avoid official responsibility for state redress.
According to a Japanese official, Noda also told Lee there is also "a difficult issue that Japan has been raising," a likely allusion to the territorial dispute over islets known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea. The South Korea-controlled islets are claimed by Japan.
On the economic front, Noda and Lee agreed to resume talks on hammering out a bilateral free-trade deal that has been stalled since 2004, but failed to agree on when to restart the talks.
On regional issues, the leaders reaffirmed cooperation with each other and with the United States in dealing with North Korea's nuclear programs, the official said. The six-nation denuclearization talks involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, the U.S. and Russia have been stalled since December 2008.
(End of the citation)


■Lee presses Noda on 'comfort women'
S. Korean leader urges 'political decision' on wartime sex slaves
Kyodo
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111218a1.html
Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011

KYOTO — South Korean President Lee Myung Bak urged the government Saturday to make a "political decision" to resolve the issue of Japan's wartime sex slaves, in his first public remarks on the thorny issue since taking office in 2008.
Lee made the comments in the city of Osaka at a gathering of South Korean residents in Japan, where the agenda also included a bilateral free-trade agreement and North Korea's nuclear ambitions. He then traveled to the nearby city of Kyoto for talks Sunday with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
Lee's trip comes at a delicate time in South Korea, where calls are growing to address the issue compensation for the "comfort women," who were forced into sexual servitude by Imperial Japanese troops during the war.
Lee said that the matter of redress "can be resolved anytime if Japan will show more sincerity" over settling the long-standing issue, noting that its resolution would "greatly contribute" to bilateral relations.
Earlier this month, a statue dedicated to the comfort women was erected in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, putting the sensitive issue back into the spotlight. Japan protested and called for the statue's removal.
Lee is planning to raise the compensation issue during Sunday's talks with Noda, a South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said, but Japanese officials wouldn't say if the prime minister is willing to discuss the matter.
Political analysts say Lee, whose grip on power is believed to be weakening, apparently needs to take a hardline stance on the wartime sex slaves issue to stem domestic criticism.
Japan annexed the Korean Peninsula in 1910, and over the next 35 years brutally tried to erase Korean culture and forced thousands of Korean women to work as sex slaves for the Imperial Japanese military.
Seoul has recently been pressing for bilateral negotiations on compensating the comfort women, but Japan has rejected the South's appeals, saying the issue was settled by a 1965 bilateral treaty that normalized diplomatic ties.
The latest bilateral summit is part of the two nations' "shuttle diplomacy," in which the leaders engage in reciprocal visits.
Regarding trade, Noda and Lee are set to agree on resuming negotiations over a bilateral FTA in the first half of next year. The talks have been stalled since 2004. The two leaders are also slated to discuss a trilateral free-trade deal with China, Japanese officials said.
Noda and Lee are also expected to reaffirm that Tokyo and Seoul will work together to contain North Korea's nuclear threat, and cooperate with the United States at a time when Washington is engaging the North and urging its leaders to take concrete steps toward denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, a Japanese official said.
Noda and Lee are also likely to confirm their cooperation on combatting illegal fishing by Chinese boats, government sources said.
(End of the citation)

2. Yomiuri's editorial of December 20th, 2011 which I will criticize in this post :

●DAILY YOMIURI ONLINE (The Daily Yomiuri)
Editorial
Don't make easy compromise on 'comfort women' issue
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/T111219004474.htm
Dec. 20, 2011

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Japan absolutely must refrain from making an easy compromise on the issue of so-called comfort women.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda met with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak in Kyoto on Sunday. During their talks, the president sought the prime minister's "decision" on the issue, insisting that resolving it should be given priority while some former comfort women are still alive.
The prime minister reiterated Japan's position that the issue had been legally settled but called for using wisdom from a humanitarian standpoint.
The president apparently brought up the comfort women issue with a view to recent developments in his country, such as a stiffening of public sentiment after South Korea's constitutional court ruled that it was unconstitutional for the government not to make an effort to have Japan pay compensation to the comfort women.

Already a settled matter

However, Japan and South Korea already signed a bilateral accord stating that the right to demand wartime compensation had been "fully and finally settled" when the two countries normalized diplomatic ties in 1965.
The government must firmly maintain this position. The issue involves recognizing the facts of history. So, even if Japan were to take half measures from a "humanitarian standpoint," it would be difficult to satisfy South Korea and would only be likely to further complicate the problem.
More problematic is the South Korean government's tacit approval of a South Korean private organization setting up a statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.
In their meeting, Noda requested of Lee that the statue be removed as soon as possible. But the president objected, saying that unless Japan takes sincere measures, another statue will be added every time a former comfort woman dies.
South Korea's argument makes no sense. The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations stipulates that "the receiving State is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps...to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity."
The Japanese government believes the South Korean government's tacit approval of the statue violates the convention. Noda was quite right to demand the statue's removal. The Japanese government must tenaciously urge the South Korean side to remove it.

Other important topics sidelined

The comfort women issue wound up taking a conspicuously long time in the bilateral summit meeting, which failed to deepen discussions on other important issues. The South Korean side is responsible for this result.
However, it is also important to keep the comfort women issue from causing the Japan-South Korea relationship to stagnate.
As for the stalled negotiations on the economic partnership agreement between the two countries, Noda called for accelerating discussions to resume the talks as soon as possible, but the president did not give a positive response.
Apparently wary of a further increase in its trade deficit with Japan, South Korea remains cautious about resuming the negotiations. However, if Japan moves forward by boldly opening its market, it will benefit both countries quite a lot.
If Japan and South Korea fail to keep in step with each other on issues involving North Korea, such as its nuclear development program and abduction of Japanese nationals, it could only benefit North Korea.
The two countries should cooperate on economic and security issues from a broader viewpoint to steadily move forward on various problems.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 19, 2011)
(Dec. 20, 2011)
(End of the citation)

(The same editorial in Japanese was published in the Yomiuri Shimbun on December 19th, 2011.)


3. My opinion about Yomiuri’s editorial :

Yomiuri’s standpoint in this editorial of December 20th, 2011 on the issue of the “comfort women” is interpreted or summarized in the following way :

1) It is important to remark that Yomiuri’s editorial does not mention the comfort women’s dignity nor their extremely painful experience during the World War II.

2) According to Yomiuri, Japan and South Korea already signed a bilateral treaty (1965) stating that the right to demand wartime compensation had been "fully and finally settled" when the two countries normalized diplomatic ties in 1965.

3) According to Yomiuri, the statue of a girl symbolizing comfort women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul which was set up by a South Korean private organization should be removed, because it violates the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Now, here are my comments :

1) The former comfort women’s dignity :

The most important point of this “comfort women” issue is their dignity. It should be considered with the historical fact established by many validated researches.

Conversely, Japan denied with insistence the history of these comfort women and its responsibility to have violated their dignity during the World War II, for a long time. Even today, the historical fact about their sexual slavery established by historians is often denied by many Japanese right-wing politicians. That is why this has become a long-running diplomatic issue between Korea and Japan. This finally ended up with several resolutions by some nations or international organizations. Some of these examples are :

* USA : United States House of Representatives House Resolution 121, adopted on July 30th, 2007.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_House_Resolution_121

* EU : European Parliament resolution of 13 December 2007 on Justice for the 'Comfort Women' (sex slaves in Asia before and during World War II) adopted on December 13th, 2007.
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&reference=P6-TA-2007-0632&language=EN&ring=P6-RC-2007-0525

* United Nations : An analysis of the legal liability of the Government of Japan for "comfort women stations" established during the Second World War
http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/7fba5363523b20cdc12565a800312a4b/3d25270b5fa3ea998025665f0032f220?OpenDocument#Appendix

It seems that Yomiuri totally neglects all these statements urging Japanese government to take necessary measurements for the former comfort women who were sexually enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army during the World War II, in order to recover their dignity rapidly. Yomiuri should be criticized for its lack of respect for them.


2) The Treaty between Japan and Korea (1965) :

The Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (June 22nd, 1965) :
http://ja.wikisource.org/wiki/%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E5%9B%BD%E3%81%A8%E5%A4%A7%E9%9F%93%E6%B0%91%E5%9B%BD%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AE%E9%96%93%E3%81%AE%E5%9F%BA%E6%9C%AC%E9%96%A2%E4%BF%82%E3%81%AB%E9%96%A2%E3%81%99%E3%82%8B%E6%9D%A1%E7%B4%84 (in Japanese)
http://ko.wikisource.org/wiki/%ED%95%9C%EC%9D%BC%EA%B8%B0%EB%B3%B8%EC%A1%B0%EC%95%BD (in Korean)
http://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~worldjpn/documents/texts/docs/19650622.T1E.html (in English)

should be carefully interpreted and it is not right to assert that all the issues including the human rights issues on the comfort women were "fully and finally settled" by this bilateral treaty as Yomiuri is arguing, because this agreement covered only the economic issues between the two nations.

In fact, the report by the special rapporteur Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy (January 4th, 1996) does not share Yomiuri’s standpoint.

http://www.unhchr.ch/Huridocda/Huridoca.nsf/(Symbol)/E.CN.4.1996.53.Add.1.En?Opendocument

“The Special Rapporteur is of the view that neither the San Francisco Peace Treaty nor the bilateral treaties were concerned with human rights violations in general or military sexual slavery in particular. The "intent" of the parties did not cover the specific claims made by "comfort women" and the treaties were not concerned with human rights violations of women during the conduct of the war by Japan. It is, therefore, the conclusion of the Special Rapporteur that the treaties do not cover the claims raised by former military sexual slaves and that the Government of Japan remains legally responsible for the consequent violations of international humanitarian law.”

Two years later, the final report on Japan's legal responsibility for “comfort women” (by UN special rapporteur Ms. Gay J. McDougall, June 22nd, 1998) also supported the Coomaraswamy Report.

http://www.unhchr.ch/huridocda/huridoca.nsf/fb00da486703f751c12565a90059a227/3d25270b5fa3ea998025665f0032f220?OpenDocument

“It is also self-evident from the text of the 1965 Agreement on the Settlement of Problems concerning Property and Claims and on Economic Cooperation between Japan and the Republic of Korea that it is an economic treaty that resolves "property" claims between the countries and does not address human rights issues. [See Tong Yu, "Reparations for former comfort women of World War II", Harvard International Law Journal, vol. 36, 1995, pp. 528, 535-536.] There is no reference in the treaty to "comfort women", rape, sexual slavery, or any other atrocities committed by the Japanese against Korean civilians. Rather, the provisions in the treaty refer to property and commercial relations between the two nations. In fact, Japan's negotiator is said to have promised during the treaty talks that Japan would pay the Republic of Korea for any atrocities inflicted by the Japanese upon the Koreans. [See Hsu, supra note 23, p. 118.]”

Moreover, from 1991, the Japanese government itself began to admit in its explanations given in the Diet deliberation that this treaty between Japan and Korea (1965) stipulated that only the diplomatic protection was relinquished, and that the right to demand personal compensation was still valid.
http://www.kanpusaiban.net/saiban/yamamoto-hanron.htm (in Japanese)

Therefore, Yomiuri’s interpretation of this treaty between Japan and Korea (1965) is not right.


3) The statue of a girl symbolizing the former comfort women in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul :

This statue is not something aggressive or humiliating for the Japanese Embassy, because it is just a statue of a girl sitting on a chair, calmly looking at the Japanese Embassy. And its name is just “Peace Monument”. (You can find pictures of this statue on Internet, by searching them with keywords "Peace monument", "Seoul", "Japanese Embassy", "Comfort women"...)

If Yomiuri or its supporters insist on asserting that this statue disturbs the “peace” or the “dignity” of the Japanese Embassy in Korea, it will prove that Japan still refuses to recognize the historical facts, its responsibility and its criminality on this issue, which were already memorized by the international community. And this reaction from Japan will remind once again the international community of the fact that Japan will never respect the former comfort women’s dignity.

And if Yomiuri refers to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961), the international community or the United Nations shall judge if the peace and the dignity of the Japanese Embassy are disturbed by this modest statue more than the comfort women’s peace and dignity were disturbed by Japan during the World War II.


4) Other remarks :

This kind of assertion may not be only Yomiuri’s problem. Unfortunately, the number of Japanese newspapers which expressed standpoints similar to Yomiuri’s was not negligible, although the former’s opinions were a little bit more moderate than the latter's. With this situation, we may have to admit that a certain proportion of the Japanese newspapers share a similar opinion with Yomiuri, perhaps except Ryukyu Shimpo (Okinawan regional newspaper).
http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-185305-storytopic-11.html (in Japanese)

Last but not least, I would like to draw attention to the fact that Yomiuri mentioned the “issues involving North Korea, such as its nuclear development program and abduction of Japanese nationals”. I am afraid that Yomiuri’s way of taking up the comfort women issue in its editorial taught to North Korea a perfect method to refuse to resolve the issue of the abduction of Japanese nationals or even to refuse to discuss it with Japan.


[ Special thanks to :
http://azuryblue.blog72.fc2.com/?tag=%C6%FC%CB%DC%B7%B3%C0%AD%C5%DB%CE%EC%C0%A9%CC%E4%C2%EA
http://ianhu.g.hatena.ne.jp/Stiffmuscle/
http://akiharahaduki.blog31.fc2.com/?tag=%C6%FC%CB%DC%B7%B3%C0%AD%C5%DB%CE%EC
http://www.kanpusaiban.net/saiban/yamamoto-hanron.htm ]
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ここからを、この記事の「日本語版」と考えてください。

この記事は、慰安婦問題についての最近の次の四つの記事

■元従軍慰安婦のハルモニの話を日本人はまず聞いてください。
http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-3062.html

■日本政府の「元慰安婦への賠償は日韓条約で解決済み」論の誤り　（「Ａｆｔｅｒｎｏｏｎ　Ｃａｆｅ」より）
http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-3067.html

■慰安婦問題： 日本の新聞社説はほぼ全滅。
http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-3075.html

■慰安婦問題： 合格点社説は琉球新報だけみたい。
http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-3076.html

の続編として、そして、そこで取り上げずにおいた読売新聞の2011年12月19日の社説が、これら四つの記事で取り上げた他の新聞の社説よりもはるかにひどいことについて批判するために書かれました。

読売新聞のその社説は、2011年12月20日の英字紙「デイリー・ヨミウリ」で英訳されていることから、読売はこの「意見」を国際社会の目にさらしてかまわないとみなしていると判断したので、その「意見」への批判記事を英語で対置しようと考えました。その読売社説批判が上の私の英文記事です。

第一に野田佳彦・李明博会談をめぐるいきさつについて説明する日韓双方の英字紙の記事、第二に問題の読売社説の英訳、そして第三に、読売社説への私のコメントという構成になっています。

読売社説のもとの日本語版は下の通りで、英字紙「デイリー・ヨミウリ」でもほぼ忠実に英訳されています。読売はこの「意見」が国際社会でも日本国内と同様に理解されて受け入れられると考えているようです。

●YOMIURI ONLINE（読売新聞）
日韓首脳会談　慰安婦で安易な妥協は禁物だ
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/editorial/news/20111218-OYT1T00763.htm
2011年12月19日付・読売社説

　いわゆる従軍慰安婦の問題で、日本が安易な妥協を図ることは、厳に慎む必要がある。
　野田首相と韓国の李明博大統領が京都で会談した。大統領は慰安婦問題について、元慰安婦が生きている間に「優先的に解決すべきだ」と述べ、「首相の決断」を求めた。
　首相は、賠償問題は法的に解決済みとする一方、「人道的な見地から知恵を絞ろう」と語った。
　大統領が慰安婦問題を提起したのは、韓国政府に解決への努力を求める憲法裁判所の決定や韓国世論の硬化などの事情があろう。
　だが、戦時中などの賠償請求権問題については、既に１９６５年の日韓国交正常化の際、「完全かつ最終的に解決された」との国際協定を締結している。
　政府は、この立場を堅持すべきだ。歴史認識にもかかわる問題であり、仮に「人道的な見地」から中途半端な措置を取っても、韓国側を満足させることは困難で、問題を複雑化するだけだろう。
　むしろ問題は、韓国の民間団体がソウルの日本大使館前に慰安婦を象徴する少女像を設置し、韓国政府が黙認していることだ。
　野田首相は会談で、少女像の早期撤去を要請した。大統領は「日本の誠意ある措置がなければ、元慰安婦が亡くなるたびに、第２、第３の銅像が建てられるだろう」などと反論した。
　この韓国側の主張はおかしい。外交関係に関するウィーン条約は、外交公館の「安寧の妨害または威厳の侵害を防止する適当な措置」を取る「特別の責務」が受け入れ国にある、と定めている。
　日本政府は、少女像設置の黙認は条約違反とみている。首相の主張は当然だ。今後も、粘り強く撤去を促さねばならない。
　会談で慰安婦問題が突出し、他の重要議題の議論が深まらなかった原因は、韓国側にある。ただ、慰安婦問題が、日韓関係を停滞させるのを避けることも重要だ。
　中断している経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）交渉について野田首相は、早期再開へ議論を加速させることを提案したが、大統領から前向きな回答はなかった。
　韓国は、対日赤字の拡大を警戒し、交渉再開に慎重だ。だが、日本が大胆な市場開放に踏み出せば互いに得るものは大きい。
　北朝鮮の核と拉致の問題も、日韓の足並みが乱れれば、北朝鮮を利する展開になりかねない。
　日韓双方が大局的見地から経済や安全保障問題で協力し、着実に前進させることが求められる。
（2011年12月19日01時10分 読売新聞）

（転載ここまで）

個人的な感想ですが、読売社説の日本語版もかなり傲慢な調子に思われましたが、英訳版もそれに輪をかけてぶっきらぼうで乱暴で傲慢なように思われました。元・慰安婦やその関係者が読んだら、さらに怒り悲しむだろうと想像しました。

この読売社説に対する上の私の英文コメントの要旨は次の通りです。

1) 慰安婦問題は歴史研究で明らかになった史実をもとに、彼女たちの尊厳の問題として扱われなければならない。慰安婦をめぐっては、国際社会では史実として確立しており、日本政府の不誠実な対応ぶりは、いくつかの国や国際機関から日本非難の決議が上がるなど、国際社会の非難の的になっている。

2) 日韓条約（1965年）で「すべて解決済み」という論がまかり通っているが、条約の締結されたいきさつや条約の内容を注意深く解釈すべきものであり、実際、日韓条約は人道問題を扱ってはいない。また、国連人権委員会クマラスワミ報告書（1996年）やマクドゥーガル報告書（1998年）によって、日韓条約は慰安婦問題の完全な解決をうたうものではないことが示されており、日本の国会答弁でも、1991年から「個別の請求権」は放棄されたものではないとの答弁が出ている。したがって、読売社説も含めて日本で流布している「日韓条約ですべて解決済み」という立場は正しくない。

3) 韓国、ソウルの日本大使館前に建てられたささやかな「平和の碑」について、元・慰安婦が慰安所生活とその後の人生でなめた辛酸と日本側がこの碑に感じていると主張する威厳の侵害とどちらが重大なのか、ぜひ国際社会や国連に判断してほしいと思う。

4) 少なくない日本の新聞が、読売ほどのひどさではないにせよ、立場的には似たような社説を載せた。例外はたぶん琉球新報だけだった。

最後に、読売社説では、北朝鮮、特に日本人拉致問題について、「北朝鮮の核と拉致の問題も、日韓の足並みが乱れれば、北朝鮮を利する展開になりかねない」と言及していることにも注目したい。戦争中に尊厳を奪われて今また日本政府の不誠実な対応に傷つけられている元・慰安婦の尊厳回復を拒んでいるように見えるこの読売社説は、日本人拉致問題についての協議や解決を一切拒否するための完璧な方法を北朝鮮側に教えているに等しい。

長くなりましたが、以上です。

築地市場の豊洲移転に反対して食の安全を守りたい。
●Like a rolling bean (new) 出来事録
■2011-12-31
【続きます！】築地市場移転証拠隠滅差止を東京地裁が棄却。ただ汚染認定＆移転確定的でないと明言
http://ameblo.jp/garbanzo04/entry-11122243351.html

↑『がけっぷち社長』さん作。また、税制についての当秘書課の記事は、「カテゴリ : 税制、税金、財政」から。

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国会議員やマスメディアに意見を届けるために下記を自由にご活用ください。引用、転載、転送、歓迎。
■各種国会議員名簿のポータルページ　http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-86.html
■官庁への意見送付先について　http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-51.html
■新聞、雑誌　読者の意見を伝える窓口（未整理）　http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-49.html
■テレビ報道番組のご意見窓口（「わんばらんす」から）　http://muranoserena.blog91.fc2.com/blog-entry-50.html
●News for the people in Japan　マスメディア問い合わせ用リンク集　http://www.news-pj.net/link/media.html