Victims urge Japanese mayor to resign
Source: Agencies |
May 25, 2013, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
TWO Korean former sex slaves demanded the resignation of a Japanese mayor and canceled a meeting with him yesterday for justifying Japan's wartime practice of forcing tens of thousands of Asian women into prostitution for its military.
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, also co-leader of a nationalist party, enraged Japan's neighbors last week by saying the use of so-called comfort women, mainly from South Korea, China and the Philippines, in brothels before and during World War II was considered necessary then to maintain military discipline and give soldiers relief.
Hashimoto said later yesterday that the cancellation was "very unfortunate" but that he respects their feelings.
He said he had hoped to show his sympathy over their wartime sufferings as sex slaves, and would have apologized for hurting their feelings because of his remarks that he said were misrepresented by the media.
Supporters of the two women in their 80s, Kim Bok-dong and Kil Won-ok, said there would be nothing to talk about because Hashimoto has showed no remorse over his remarks. They suspected he may have wanted to use the meeting - to be broadcast live on TV - to appear friendly with them and calm public criticism.
The women said they were heartbroken by Hashimoto's outrageous comments and didn't want to be seen contributing to a less-than-sincere apology.
They demanded that Hashimoto, 43, apologize and resign as mayor of Osaka.
"We cannot compromise our painful past as victims and the reality that we still live today for Mayor Hashimoto's apology performance," the women said in the statement. "We don't need to be trampled on again."
Hashimoto also angered the US by suggesting American troops based in south Japan should patronize legal adult entertainment establishments as a way to reduce sex crimes there.
Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, also co-leader of a nationalist party, enraged Japan's neighbors last week by saying the use of so-called comfort women, mainly from South Korea, China and the Philippines, in brothels before and during World War II was considered necessary then to maintain military discipline and give soldiers relief.
Hashimoto said later yesterday that the cancellation was "very unfortunate" but that he respects their feelings.
He said he had hoped to show his sympathy over their wartime sufferings as sex slaves, and would have apologized for hurting their feelings because of his remarks that he said were misrepresented by the media.
Supporters of the two women in their 80s, Kim Bok-dong and Kil Won-ok, said there would be nothing to talk about because Hashimoto has showed no remorse over his remarks. They suspected he may have wanted to use the meeting - to be broadcast live on TV - to appear friendly with them and calm public criticism.
The women said they were heartbroken by Hashimoto's outrageous comments and didn't want to be seen contributing to a less-than-sincere apology.
They demanded that Hashimoto, 43, apologize and resign as mayor of Osaka.
"We cannot compromise our painful past as victims and the reality that we still live today for Mayor Hashimoto's apology performance," the women said in the statement. "We don't need to be trampled on again."
Hashimoto also angered the US by suggesting American troops based in south Japan should patronize legal adult entertainment establishments as a way to reduce sex crimes there.
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