日本首相安倍晋三近日发表了有关日本在二战中“强征慰安妇没有历史依据”的言论。对此，美国《国际先驱论坛报》3月6日发表评论文章批评指出，日本实在太过健忘。以下为内容摘要：- _9 S" o, o7 T! m4 R/ T4 G
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文章设问：到底是“日军慰安妇”的哪个历史片断令安倍难以理解和作出道歉呢？实际上，关键的事实非常明瞭，并不存在争议。: e) }$ T9 g. z0 b# y z
7 E( c) z# C' m. R9 j2 R* K8 ^: s “日军慰安妇”虽也为日本军人提供性服务，但这与自愿成为军妓显然有本质的不同。前者是在日军的刺刀下被强行逼迫的结果，是日军有组织、有计划强征或骗征的，而后者则主要是出于一种经济利益考虑的自愿行为。前者属于被强奸，后者则是在卖淫。' j/ T/ W$ |5 v+ u/ s* d( Z
' r& z1 Y7 E2 M1 F- b$ O4 l . P3 v) `) X6 W- h2 o% m' a4 iLee Yong Soo, 78, was one of three women who testified before the United States Congress last month that she was forced into sex slavery by Japanese soldiers during WWII.) q/ v. q) Y* l& o4 ~
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3 D3 b2 @; w- K! T2 x2 T+ EWhat part of “Japanese Army sex slaves” does Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, have so much trouble understanding and apologizing for?. y- T( a; ]) b9 L9 J, l
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The underlying facts have long been beyond serious dispute. During World War II, Japan’s Army set up sites where women rounded up from Japanese colonies like Korea were expected to deliver sexual services to Japan’s soldiers. 2 a1 `' H8 i" t6 I% E5 X. w! W6 }# M1 `9 h; K, N
These were not commercial brothels. Force, explicit and implicit, was used in recruiting these women. What went on in them was serial rape, not prostitution. The Japanese Army’s involvement is documented in the government’s own defense files. A senior Tokyo official more or less apologized for this horrific crime in 1993. The unofficial fund set up to compensate victims is set to close down this month.& J8 g5 s2 H$ `. i6 m* J3 U
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And Mr. Abe wants the issue to end there. Last week, he claimed that there was no evidence that the victims had been coerced. Yesterday, he grudgingly acknowledged the 1993 quasi apology, but only as part of a pre-emptive declaration that his government would reject the call, now pending in the United States Congress, for an official apology. America isn’t the only country interested in seeing Japan belatedly accept full responsibility. Korea and China are also infuriated by years of Japanese equivocations over the issue. 0 R1 h; u. @8 K$ I+ O/ w ( f' M/ u. m" B7 A) ~Mr. Abe seems less concerned with repairing Japan’s sullied international reputation than with appealing to a large right-wing faction within his Liberal Democratic Party that insists that the whole shameful episode was a case of healthy private enterprise. One ruling party lawmaker, in his misplaced zeal to exculpate the Army, even suggested the offensive analogy of a college that outsourced its cafeteria to a private firm.5 H6 w6 j; e/ x5 N2 [; G7 I( g: O
8 ?2 o8 O: z1 OJapan is only dishonored by such efforts to contort the truth.2 Q' g+ Z7 g8 {0 { u
; o" i4 E' \% [The 1993 statement needs to be expanded upon, not whittled down. Parliament should issue a frank apology and provide generous official compensation to the surviving victims. It is time for Japan’s politicians — starting with Mr. Abe — to recognize that the first step toward overcoming a shameful past is acknowledging it.
