Comfort Women Final Version

Comfort Women JugunIanfu 慰安婦

Tessa Castellani Defining Comfort Women:Japan Focus

Introduction: History of Comfort Women Comfort Women (JugunIanfu) were the victims of sex slavery by the Japanese military troops before and during World War II (1942-1945) Women were kidnapped, forced, and/or tricked into becoming prostitutes for Japanese troops Earlier comfort women were Japanese prostitutes who volunteered for such a service The military found itself short of these women as Japan continued military expansion Turned to the local population to coerce women to serve the troops Soon the search was expanded to controlled territories: China, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, and Korea. “Three Alls Policy”-- indiscriminately kidnapping and raping local civilians

Comfort Station: Shanghai, China ,[object Object]

Many women responded to calls for work as factory workers or nurses – unaware of the military’s true intentions.

Women were shipped all over the territories and many lost track of where they were and where their home was in relation. ,[object Object]

What was Involved? According to the House of Sharing, a human rights museum and a safe house for former comfort women, when a woman was captured or lured into comfort stations, she was given a medical examination to determine if she was a virgin or diseased She was then raped by the medical examiner and sent to her station Her identity was quickly stripped of her as she was given a Japanese flower name by the first person to rape her. The women's names were written on wooden blocks and hung up much like menus are at restaurants in Japan.

On average, comfort women served 30 men daily on weekdays Served up to 50 men daily on weekends The days leading up to the soldiers shipping out to the front lines were the worst times Having sex before going into battle was a sign of good luck and vitality Some men would even take pubic hair for good luck

Women were beaten if they failed to act as if they enjoyed it or showed resistance Extremely sore after just a few men with dozens still left until the day’s end Some were given a few minutes to a half hour in-between to rest, but most were given only a jar of cotton swabs soaked in disinfectant and told to quickly clean before the next man Sometimes they were given a single condom which had to be washed in between uses

Medical Maladies Women were checked biweekly for STIs/STDs Contracting one or becoming pregnant would lead to severe punishment If given a “clean” bill of health, the woman would be raped by her physician(s) after check-up To combat STIs Injections of Mercury 606 Their internal organs including their uterus were mostly destroyed through this method Forced hysterectomies

Pregnancy: The Worst Offense The most brutal punishment was reserved for women who had “let” themselves become pregnant Babies were forcibly aborted: Kicking or knifing by a group of soldiers Raped with hot irons until the baby died Babies were subsequently chopped up and fed to dogs in front of the women to serve as an everlasting reminder

The Aftermath ,[object Object]

Comfort women who survived and were discovered by the Allied forces were not returned to their homelands; there was just too many of them

There is evidence supporting that American and European military personnel "recycled" many of the women for their own sexual use

Many were considered prostitutes rather than victims,[object Object]

Motivations & Reasoning To increase the morale of troops To more efficiently prevent the spread of STDs To prevent leakage of military secrets To prevent soldiers from raping women in the territories they controlled

Adam Souza The Rape of Nanking: A Comparison

Historic Context Took place between December 1937 and January/February 1938 (Japanese military records show orders to leave by January, Chinese records claim occupation didn’t fully end until later) Death toll among Chinese defenders was nearly 80%. Occupation raised this total to nearly 100%. Several verified war crimes committed before invasion began Looting Rape “Race to 100”

Comfort Women “Safety Zone” established with the ostensible goal of protecting civilians, promptly ignored by Japanese military. Roughly 20,000 women taken – exact statistics unknown, possibly higher. There was no pretext of these women being “used” in any humane manner. Women were raped and then sterilized by brute force and trauma, or simply killed. Pregnant women were aborted via bayonet, broomstick, or blunt force trauma. Foreign businessmen and missionaries attempted to stop violence, Chinese unable to open negotiations, official Japanese protocol gave them no chance. Emperor Hirohito ratified military proposition that declared all Chinese exempt from international law regarding prisoner treatment.

Japanese Revisionism Official Japanese response has varied, originally denied massacre ever took place. Public response mixed; some believe it happened, others deny. Several noted Japanese historians published essays refuting claims by Chinese citizens who lived through attack. Apparently, a vocal minority of “Massacre Deniers” are spreading their views wherever they can. Videos arguing that the Nanking Massacre never happened as reported outnumber videos about the Massacre itself. The first video I found was from a Japanese talk show denying the event. Survivors have petitioned for reparations from Japanese government, but none have been forthcoming, although a formal apology has been issued.

Kaitlyn Coons Comfort Women Outside Japan:A Global Menace

“Comfort Women” Outside of Asia In war-torn cities, women are sometimes forced into sexual exploitation in order to survive Also subjected to sexual violence as a war tactic May not be called “comfort women” or have come into this life by the force of their government, but the violence is still the same

Related Victims: The Congo Panzi Hospital in Bukavu is known for its aid to women who are victims of sexual terrorism Sexual terrorism: individual rapes, sexual abuse, gang rapes, mutilation of genitalia and rape-shooting or rape-stabbing combinations Most times done with family members forced to watch Sexual terrorism causes devastating internal injuries and other complications from rape “In the Congo, traumatic fistula is a common form of sexual torture inflicted with guns, tree branches or broken bottles…the victim smells bad, causing her to be rejected by her family and community.” – A Thousand Sisters

Related Victims: Iraq Since the United States has occupied Iraq, some 3,500 women have gone missing. ,[object Object],Families are desperate for money to feed their families and oftentimes do not know that they are selling their daughters to sex traffickers These women’s bodies are then sold by their pimps who collect the money as the women are raped

Alex Zacharczenko Comfort Women of Today:

Government Responses Many women today are seeking apologies and reparations from the Japanese government As late as 1990 Japan has denied government involvement in the use of comfort women

Kono Statement 1991, a Japanese historian discovered government documents directly linking the government to use of comfort women This information was published in a national newspaper 1992, Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa formally apologized to comfort women Despite the apology, Japan has never admitted legal responsibility, insisting it wasn’t a war crime, wasn’t an organized system

Asia women’s fund Set up in 1995, came with signed apology: "As Prime Minister of Japan, I thus extend anew my most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical and psychological wounds as comfort women.“ –Tomiichi Murayama Fund gave money from private donations, not government

United Nations Human Rights Commission Report 1998, called Contemporary Forms of Slavery Use of comfort women was slavery, which was illegal in Japan at the time Rape was a war crime at the time Japanese government had committed crimes against humanity Japanese government is liable

Abe Controversy ,[object Object]

Pressure from US led him to take back his statement

However, Abe’s party purged comfort women from many history textsImportant quote from education minister Nariaki Nakayama: "Those women deserve much sympathy, but (being forced to provide sex) is not so much different from what was commonly seen in poor rural Japanese communities in the past, where women were sold to brothels. It could be said that the occupation was something they could have pride in, given their existence soothed distraught feelings of men in the battlefield and provided a certain respite and order."

Litigation 2007, Japan Supreme Court ruled that individuals could no longer seek claims through litigation

International Resolutions Resolutions have been passed by several countries urging Japan to take full responsibility for the comfort women situation These countries include, the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, England, and the European Parliament

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