Japanese History Textbook Distortion
When I was searching for the late Kim Eun-Rye, a victim of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery during World War II, I found an article about “comfort women’s” demonstration in Japan in 2001 against distorted Japanese historical textbooks.
Two former “comfort women”, Hwang Keum-ju and Kim Eun-Rye, visited the Japanese education ministry and requested correction of distorted Japanese history textbooks.
The Japanese government reduced or removed facts about “comfort women” from students’ textbooks. How shameful is this? Not only has the Japanese government been ignoring their crimes but also they try to hide and distort the historical facts. This is an apparent crime itself!
They may think their crimes may be forgotten in hundred years when none of the former “comfort women” will have survived. They may believe that they don’t need to teach their students the history because it’s their shameful atrocity. But they should know what’s more shameful is not to admit their crimes and to be a coward about it.
They should realize Korea and Japan, and other victimized countries and Japan will never establish real neighborhood ties between each other. They should remember that we won’t be able to take true steps forward before they officially apologize for their crimes.
Two former “comfort women” cried that Japanese government officers don’t have any conscience. They also lamented they couldn’t even die peacefully when the Japanese government tries to hide the truth as if it had never happened.
The Japanese government must stop committing another appalling crime by not telling their own descendents the truth about the crimes they committed.
Filed under Women and War November 1, 2008
I agree wholeheartedly that the behavior of the Japanese government towards the Korean “comfort women” is shameful.
It is not surprising to learn that they have expurgated these horrific facts from their textbooks when one considers the fact that the typical Japanese student is misled regarding the causes of World War II and the circumstances surrounding the involvement of the Japanese. The Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor is never mentioned and typically, Japanese students have a hazy notion that the USA and Japan fought against a common enemy. Unfortunately McArthur (Gen. Douglas) never enforced on the Japanese the terms which the Germans were required to accede to. That is a complete and thoroughly public examination of the actions not only of the German government under the Nazis, but a complete expose of the German people’s collusion in the murder of millions of Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals, Communists, and Disabled Germans.
Shame on the conquering occupation force for allowing the Japanese to continue to deny their atrocities after enforcing conditions of absolute surrender. In the name of expediency and getting the Japanese economy moving again the horrible details of the culpability of the leaders of Japan in the horrors committed by Japan’s forces were swept under the rug.
I don’t think we should expect anything other than more of the same for a long time yet to come.