What the “Girl Statue” gazes at – “South Korea-Japan agreement” on former sex slaves and questions on Japan’s colonial rule and war responsibility

 

 During this new-year holiday period, Japan’s Abe Administration’s perception of history and diplomatic attitude continued to be questioned. Prime Minister ABE Shinzo visited the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the US at the end of last December, proudly saying, “We want to show our power of commemoration and reconciliation to Japan, the US and the world”, after the summit meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the “final postwar settlement”. During the same period, Japan’s Defense Minister INADA Tomomi visited the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, or “war shrine”. Abe never referred to the war of aggression against Asia. More than a year has passed since the South Korea-Japan foreign ministerial meeting that confirmed a “final and irreversible solution” on the “comfort women” issue. While more and more Korean citizens demanded the “South Korea-Japan agreement”, which disregards the victims of the sex slavery, be discarded, a new “Girl Statue”, or a peace monument, was built in front of the Consulate General of Japan in Busan, South Korea. However, the Japanese Government arrogantly demanded the South Korean counterpart to immediately remove the statue and withdrew its ambassador to the country to Japan. In addition, the Japanese Government has been a yes-man to the US Military in Japan to approve the restart of Osprey (a.k.a. “widow maker”) flights and airborne fuel supply, in defiance of Okinawa Prefecture and its local residents. The hardline stances of both the US and Japanese Governments have continued, as seen in the construction of a helipad in the Takae district and a new military base in the Henoko district in Okinawa. (NISHINAKA Seiichiro)

 Picture : “Girl Statue”in front of the Consulate General of Japan in Busan, South Korea

「平和の少女像」が見つめる先にあるもの～「日韓合意」と植民地支配・戦争責任を問う声

この年末年始、安倍政権の歴史認識や外交姿勢を問う出来事が続いた。安倍首相は「最後の戦後処理」とうたった日露首脳会談の後、12月末に「慰霊と和解の力を日米と世界に示したい」と誇示して真珠湾訪問を行い、その最中に稲田防衛大臣は靖国神社を参拝した。アジアへの侵略戦争の言及は一切なかった。また「最終的かつ不可逆的に解決」とした日本軍「慰安婦」問題の日韓外相会談から12月28日で丸1年が経った。被害者の声を無視した「日韓合意」の破棄を求める韓国市民の声が高まる中で、釜山の日本総領事館前に、新たな「少女像」（平和の碑）が設置されたが、日本政府は即時撤去を韓国政府に強圧的に要求し、駐韓大使らを一時帰国させた。さらに沖縄県政や反対住民を嘲笑うかのように、日本政府は在日米軍の言いなりでオスプレイ飛行や空中給油の再開を容認し、高江ヘリパッド建設、辺野古新基地建設での日米両政府の強行姿勢も延々と続いている。（西中誠一郎）