From: rehir@gauss.med.harvard.edu (Hirokatsu Watanabe 432-2275)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan,soc.culture.china,soc.culture.hongkong,soc.culture.taiwan
Subject: Re: An open letter to the Emperor Akihito of Japa
Date: 20 Aug 92 11:50:29 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.japan
Organization: Harvard Medical School


   In article, dskim@eng.umd.edu (Daeshik Kim)

>	I wonder what'll happen if those former comfort girls take
>	either class action or sue the Japanese Government for the
>	compensation; or I even wonder they can do that or not.

   3 Korean women have already sued Japanese government for the
compensation last December. And 6 another women joined later.
This made Japanese government to investigate about comfort girls, and
state that Japanese Army and government made the system of comfort
girls during WW II. 

   The following is the summary of articles related to it in 
Asahi Newspaper.

   [Dec. 6, 1991]
        35 members of 'Association of victims of WW II' sued
Japanese government for the compensation (20000000 yen/person)
to Tokyo district court. This members include 3 former comfort girls,
former Japanese soldiers, and civilian employees of the army who
are Korean, and gathered forcedly during WW II. 
        The department of north-east Asia in Foreign Minister
said about it, that the issue of compensation for Korea was
finished by the treaty between Korea and Japan in 1965.

   [Jan. 11, 1992]
         The materials which shows that Japanese Army took part
in the system of comfort girls, was found in the Defense Agency
on Jan. 10. Citizens' groups criticized the government and asked
to disclose the truth. This will effect on the lawsuit of comfort
girls.
         This issue has been taken up in the National Diet from
June, 1990. But the government kept to deny the participation of
the Japanese government to comfort girls system.
         The nongovernment parties, Japanese citizens' groups, and
Korean group in Japan demand the release of all materials and the
compensation.

   [Jan. 11, 1992]
         4 citizens' groups of Japanese women and Korean in Japan,
which support the plaintiff of the comfort girls lawsuit, will
open the telephone office for collecting the information of comfortgirls 
for 3 days from Jan. 14. They appeal to former Japanese soldiers,
army surgeons, army nurses, and people related to collection of comfort
girls for their cooperation.

     [Jan. 14, 1992]
           Prime Minister Miyazawa got the opinion of Japanese 
government for the issue of comfort girls in shape on Jan. 13. This
admits that old Japanese Army made the collection of Korean comfort 
girls and the management of comfort places. The director of the
Minister's Secretariat Kato apologized as Japanese government for the
first time, 'We make an apology for people who had bitter experiences
of comfort girls which can't be told or written, and reflect on our
past conduct.' (Ju^gun-Ianfu to shite Hitsuzetsu ni tsukukigatai Shinku
o nameta Katagata ni, Owabi to Hansei no Kimochi o mo^shiagetai)
Mr. Kato announced that the Prime Minister will also make a apology
for Korean government during visiting Korea from Jan. 16.
       However, the opinion for the compensation is as before that
the issue was finished by the treaty between Korea and Japan. Mr Kato
said that they would deal with the issue after releasing the judgment
of the Court.

   [June 1, 1992]
       The first oral pleadings in the comfort girls lawsuit was begun
on June 1 in Tokyo district court. The plaintiff consisted of 3 former
comfort girls, 16 former Japanese soldiers and military emploees, and
16 bereaved family last December. 6 former comfort girls also brought
a case before the Court later. 3 person of the plaintiff told about
half their lives, and criticized the Japanese government for not
accepting the demand of compensation. A former comfort girl (70 years
old) said 'There are many former comfort girls who can't bring a case
before the court in Korea', 'Why can Japan, which have not even helped
us, be in triumph in the world community?'
        The defense counsel of the plaintiff demanded to begin the
discussion what compensation the Japanese government should make,
because Prime Minister Miyazawa had already admitted the relationship
between the old Japanese Army and the system of comfort girls, and 
apologized in the summit meeting of Korea and Japan on this Jan.
        The Japanese government as a defendant asserted the dismiss of
the demand, and didn't admit the relationship between Japanese 
government and the comfort girls system because they are investigating
about it now.

   [July 6, 1992]
        Japanese government released the result of investigation about
comfort girls. This investigation clearly shows that Japanese Army and
government made the system of comfort girls, and many comfort girls 
were collected from not only Korea but Chani, and other Asian countries.      
  Japanese government stated that the issue of compesation betweenKorea 
and Japan was finished, but we will do something instead of compensation. 
However, the government didn't state what they would do.


   P.S.  Japanese government have not make any apology for China and
other Asian countries.
         At last, I apologize to people who were suffered by Japanese
Army and government in WW II as a Japanese, but wish not to use 'Jap'.

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*      Hirokatsu Watanabe      *
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