Many people around the world are familiar with the persistent pleadings by black Americans for the U.S. Congress to apologize and pay reparations to them for slavery, which ended almost 150 years ago. In fact their pleadings have even inspired political leaders in the Caribbean to file similar claims with the UK Parliament. But I have argued for years (most recently in the Related Article linked to below) that such pleadings are not only politically untenable but also legally infeasible.
By contrast, I have repeatedly argued that the Japanese Parliament should apologize and pay reparations to the tens of thousands of women from China, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia and the Philippines who were used as sex slaves by Japanese soldiers during World War II. Moreover, I have urged it to emulate the precedent the U.S. Congress established by apologizing and paying reparations to black Americans who were used as guinea pigs for the government-sponsored Tuskegee Syphilis Study, which ended only 35 years ago.
Unfortunately, despite years of heart-rending pleadings by these emancipated sex slaves (a.k.a. comfort women), the Japanese have remained defiantly opposed to granting them any formal compensation. Therefore, I was not at all surprised on Monday when it rejected a non-binding resolution by the U.S. Congress on behalf of these victims calling upon them to do so.
But it behooves Japan to “formally acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility” for the systematic sexual enslavement of these women. After all, just as Germany was compelled – not only politically but also morally – to offer an official apology and commensurate compensation to victims of the Holocaust, so too Japan should recognize its political and moral duty to offer an official apology and commensurate compensation to the victims of these crimes against humanity. And this is especially imperative given that the claims of these former sex slaves are not hopelessly-encumbered by the passage of time and the inability to show proximate harm as were those of black Americans, none of whom are former slaves.
Meanwhile, it’s worth noting that in 1998 the hopes of these former sex slaves were lifted when a Japanese lower court ruled that they were in fact entitled to compensation. Alas, even though the court only awarded the three named claimants an insulting $2,500 and no formal apology, the High Court overturned that ruling in 2003, reasoning that any compensation for the alleged crimes was a matter to be decided by parliament, not the courts.
Therefore, I urge U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney to take a moment during his meeting in Japan today with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to reframe and present that Congressional resolution – with a demand for commensurate compensation – as the last outstanding requirement of Japan’s unconditional surrender after World War II….
Related Articles:
Demand for reparations for African slavery
Japan sex slaves
Paris ib says
Cuba and the U.N.
U.S. Ordered to Pay USD 17 billion to Nicaragua
ALH ipinions says
paris ib
Perhaps the Japanese feel that their unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor was the proximate cause of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Perhaps they feel that the U.S.’s role in rebuilding their war-ravaged country suffices as reparations.
At any rate, if the Japanese actually feel aggreived in this respect, I think they are fully capable of pleading their own case. Indeed, I encourage any nation that feels it has a legitimate cause of action against the U.S. for reparations to plead their case.
Paris ib says
How ’bout this for a deal Anthony, before anyone asks Japan to do ANYTHING at all:The U.S. pays reparations and apologises for the War Crime committed when the U.S. used Nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Gore Vidal on Nagasaki and HiroshimaPays the USD 17 billion in War Reparations due to Nicaragua for the damage done to that country during the U.S.’s illegal and mostly covert war against Nicaragua. Reparations which were recognized by the International Court of Law:Nicaragua vs. U.S.War Crimes in NicaraguaAbides the 25 or so resolutions voted by the U.N. for the U.S. to lift its illegal embargo on Cuba:Cuba, the U.N. and the U.S. embargoAnd starts to teach its citizens to read and write and once that is achieved teaches U.S. citizens the truth about the U.S.’s appalling track record on human rights and the ongoing and illegal interference in the sovreign affairs of foreign nations by the U.S. which extends, naturally, to endless illegal wars:The U.S. Track RecordI don’t know who pays you to write the stuff you write but I’ll tell you one thing: whoever they are they can’t be trusted.
Paris ib says
Why? It’s not like the U.S. is ever going to abide by any case which may eventually decided. So really the whole thing is a sham.
There are questions about Pearl Harbour Link and in any case Hiroshima and Nagasaki which targeted innocent civilians constitutes a war crime. War Crime
For which there is no excuse.
Has the U.S. rebuilt New Orleans yet?