Tuesday, February 16, 2016

The Comfort Women Mafia



The Comfort Women Mafia
By Tony Marano

There are a group of Koreans in the United States and South Korea I label as the “Comfort Women Mafia.”  Understand this labeling is not intended to be applied to those women currently claiming to have been Comfort Women forced into service by the Japanese Imperial Military.  This is all about those who are exploiting this issue for either personal gain or pure hate for the nation and people of Japan.  Old fashion Japan-bashing.

The Comfort Women Mafia has been successful in placing plaques and a statue memorializing their version of the Comfort Women story in communities all across the United States.  Why?  This Comfort Women story happened before 1945 between Korea and Japan, the United States was nowhere in that equation.  So why is this Mafia dragging the United States into this dispute? 

Very simple:  The Comfort Women Mafia’s one area of motivation is to bash Japan.  Their goal is to tarnish the image of Japan among the populace in the USA.  How come as of date there are no Comfort Women memorials in Mexico, Brazil, Thailand, South Africa, Spain, or Finland?  There are no such memorials in the fore mentioned countries because currently the goal is to diminish Japan’s image in the USA. 

The city of Glendale, California eagerly participated in this form of Japan bashing by placing a statue of a Comfort Women in one of their city’s public parks.   In 2013 two friends from Japan, Shun and Mit along with me traveled to Glendale, California.

We visited the Comfort Women statue in Glendale’s public city park.  We proceeded to take a series of photographs with us sitting next to the statue, with a paper bag over the head of the statue, and me holding two Japanese flags.  The two flags were Japan’s national flag (Hinomaru) and the Japanese Navy flag (The Rising Sun Flag / Kyokujitsu-ki). 

We placed the photographs of me sitting next to the statue with the flags on social media, mainly Facebook.  These photographs caused a firestorm of hate and protest from Koreans in the USA and South Korea.  I received around two-thousand hateful messages almost all starting with “F**k you.”  Around five hundred were disturbing death threats.


Here are some of the quotes from a few messages:

“I want to kill you.”
“I know where you live.  Watch your back.  I am going to kill you.”
“I kill your mother and your family.”
“I will find ur location and kick ur ass soon   Wait for me its not going to take much time.”
“25 Dec I will kill you.”
“If I don’t see your apology note I will be forced to track you down….”
“50000000 people hate you and 10 people planning kill you.”
“Remove your eyes, and will make you eat them.  That’s my only purpose for my lifetime.”

A few of the messages were polite and questioned why I did what I did by sitting next to the statue with the flags and paper bag.  I explained what I did next to that statue happens to statues in American city public parks all across the USA.  We call that “freedom of expression.”  As long as I did not deface or damage the statue I was participating in an American tradition.

I continued with if an American exercising “freedom of expression” in an American city’s public park is offensive, then perhaps that statue should be moved to private property or sent to South Korea.  One or two understood while others replied with “F**k you.” 

Some additional thoughts on the Comfort Women issue:

1 - During the period of 1910 to 1945 the average population of Korea was around 20 million.  Koreans claim around 200,000 of their women were forced to be sex slaves (Comfort Women) for the Japanese military.  In today's numbers using the USA as an example that represents around 3 million American women would have been forced to be Comfort Women.  Can you image 3 million American women being dragged off to be Comfort Women what the reaction would be from American men? 

2 - Where were the Korean men while 200,000 of their women were being dragged off to sexual servitude?  Perhaps they were standing in line to join the Japanese Imperial Army.  Nearly 800,000 Korean men attempted to join the Japanese Imperial Army while only 17,644 got accepted.  Would these 800,000 volunteer to join an army responsible for forcing 200,000 of their women into sexual slavery?

3 - Current day president of South Korea, President Park Geun-hye, her father Park Chung-hee served in the Japanese Imperial Army as a distinguished officer.  Would President Park's father join an army responsible for forcing 200,000 of his fellow citizens into sexual slavery?  He later became President of South Korea. 

4 - During World War Two Japan occupied around 22 nations / territories.  How come out of the 22 nations only two (South Korea and red China) are pursuing this Comfort Women issue?  The other nations said to have been involved are not bellyaching currently over this issue.  How come?

5 - In 2005 it was revealed in 1965 a settlement was agreed to (1965 Korea-Japan Claims Settlement Agreement), and signed by South Korea and Japan.  In addition as part of this settlement $800 million and soft loans (loans below market interest rates) given to the South Korean government by the nation of Japan.  Part of the agreement was this to be a final agreement on closing any claims in the future by individuals in South Korea and / or the South Korean government against Japan for any activity between 1910 and 1945.

6 - In 1944 some Comfort Women were captured by the United States Army.  The USA Army issued a report after interrogating the women.  The report states they were “well-paid prostitutes.”  Also states they enjoyed social events such as picnics, dances, sporting events with members of the Japanese Imperial Army.  Do sex slaves get to do that?  They also enjoyed shopping trips spending their earnings. 

7 - This Comfort Women issued current day is nothing but pure Japan bashing and seeking another round of payments.

8 - The Communist in China are in support of keeping the Comfort Women issue alive as it servers to keep a division among the South Korean – Japan – USA alliance.  

9 – During World War Two the USA and Japan both did horrible things to one-another and yet today are the best of friends and allies.  Even if the Comfort Women issue is as the Koreans and Chinese claim, it was over 70 years ago and should not be used as a vehicle to bash Japan.  

Recently Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korea’s President Park came to an agreement to put this issue behind them.  Prime Minister Abe issued a “sincere” apology and announced Japan will pay over eight million dollars to a fund that provides for the former Comfort Women still alive.

This agreement gave the Comfort Women Mafia what they were demanding:  An apology and additional money.  A reasonable observer might have been led to believe the issue would be put to rest.  Ha ha ha.  Not so fast!  There was no way the Comfort Women Mafia was going to allow this to be put to rest even after they got what they wanted.

They are now claiming Japan must accept “legal responsibility.”  Where did that come from?  This new demand of “legal responsibility” was basically unheard of.  It is appearing now for the sole purpose of keeping the Japan-bashing active.  Also to prove it was not about a “sincere” apology or the money because they got what they wanted and now claim additional demands. 

The surviving Comfort Women are now demanding money is paid directly to them and not to a fund set up to care for them.  As long as there is a South Korea and a Japan on both sides of the Sea of Japan this issue will always be a cyst in the diplomatic relations between the two countries.  The hate for Japan runs deep and is strong on the Korean peninsula. 

A peculiar aspect of this agreement is how this agreement was greeted by the populace in both countries.  Conservatives in support of President Park in South Korea are now critical of the Comfort Women Mafia for their continued demands and expression of hate.

In Japan conservatives are upset because Prime Minister Abe issued the latest apology (over fifty have been issued by the government of Japan in the last seventy years) and upset because of this latest round of money being paid. 

While the Comfort Women Mafia remains active in their promotion of hate, the Communist in Beijing, China are delighted to see a thorny issue alive within the Japan – USA – South Korean alliance.  

Korean interview:

Comfort Women playlist on YouTube:

U.S. Army 1944 report:

11 comments:

SHUN said...

There is a North Korean influenced group named (in English) "The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan" but their original name in Korean language is totally different from this.

"The South Korean council for the issues of women volunteer corps"

As you can see, this organization is spitting lie from their name.

"Women volunteer corps" was workers who were voluntarily working at factories to fill the shortage of men workers.

They intentionally changed the name only in English.
Original name does not have any words related to sex, slave, force and so on.

The group is insisting that they are supporting former comfort women who were forced into sex slavery.

They are partly funded by Korean government.
But the majority of fund for their activities are coming from donations and so called "conference meetings."

This group drag those old women to Europe, USA and even to Japan to speak how they were badly treated by Japanese soldiers.

If you are clever, you will understand what kind of organization it is.

It is very similar to entertainment agency.

They drag those old women to let them speak what the organization want them to speak with fake tears.
So those old women are actresses for the organization to generate money.

By doing this, they can get more donation from suckers and the organizers of each conference meeting as lecture's fee.

If the comfort women issue is closed by Japan and Korean government, they are the one who lose money source. This is why they are strongly opposing this agreement.

They are exploiting those old women simply for money and will exploit them until they die.
This is considered as an ongoing typical Korean human rights violation.

Anonymous said...

Dear Tony,
First of all, sorry that my post is not related to this topic. I just want to appreciate you. I am really happy that now your country and my country, Japan, maintain the tight alliance and deeply trust each other. And I sincerely appreciate you because you have been giving me a strong impression that as far as the Japanese have nice American friends who are willing to keep mutual understanding with us, like you, our wonderful relationship will last long and even become tighter in the future. I believe we should not just utilize each other, but walk together as important friends although I know international relationships are often more like business or diplomacy. These days I feel a little worried about Mr. Donald Trump's irresponsible remarks, which distribute hates and worries over the world, but I still know there should be a lot of true friends in the U.S. Anyway, thank you very much for your impressive videos. Sincerely yours,
Hideo

Unknown said...

Hello.First of all, I am Korean. There are some kind of things that you have misunderstood.
First, the words of comfort women is the just thing to translate japanese to english, so I wanted to use as Military sexual slave.
They never wanted to be in, and most of them were cheated by japanese or the follwers. They cheated to let them study, and earn money, but haven't ever heard about sexual slave.
Second, why didn't the mens protected them? Because they had no power, and most of the mens that had power, were taken as soldiers or slaves to japan or other country. My grandfather was one of them, and my grandmother was taken to factory, and lost her finger. NO ONE HAVE BEEN AGREED!!! We lost our country, power,King, and everything.
3. None of citizens have agreed to get money from japan, about MSS problem. Of course, none of grandmothers got money. The paper that japan have wroted, there is no word about apology. It is taken by people that doesn't think of citizen. ALL WE WANT IS SERIOUS APOLOGY FROM JAPAN.
4. The president? I don't know whethere you know that there were some problems during the vote, so most of citizens doen't trust her a lot.

The flag that you had, while taking picture means similar with Hakenkreuz, the flag of Nazis. It symbolizes wounds and bloods to Koreans. A paper bag, in face, you have ruined the meaning of the sculpture.
The freedom of expression, well.. The meaning of the word is good. BUT, there is tracit rule, not to table others wound, or something that shouldn't be bothered. And you bothered that you must not. I don't think you would do this, if you were German. If you want to talk about other country's history, know the fact, know the real history. AND DO NOT INSULT OUR GRANDMOTHERS SACRIFICE. All the things that my ancestors think about is independence of korea, and fight against japan, be stronger to protect our citizens. DO NOT INSULT THEM.

Anonymous said...

You are an insolent pro-Nazi idiot

Anonymous said...

You should go ask your ancestors how they are in Hell

Unknown said...

Then explain in which I have been insolent

Unknown said...

How dare you use the word Nazi.... Wow......

Unknown said...

I don't mind whether you like japan, become wapanese. Just do not say wrong things by hearing one sight of history. You would say I want to damage the image of japan, but no. I just want you to know the truth. The things that they did to us is all truth, and there are still people that are alive.

Dietrich said...

Your logic is pretty facile, Tony. There are intelligent arguments to be made for or against this issue, but both your reasoning and behavior are at the level of a young child who is acting out to get a response. Breaking a superficial analysis down into points and embellishing it with a fractured take on statistical analysis does not dignify it with depth, rigor, or accuracy. It just makes you feel as if you're making a cogent and rigorous argument--which you are not. It's not immediately apparent whether you're dong it to get clicks (in which case, congratulations), or whether you're actually this ignorant (in which case, take solace in the fact that you're stuck with your limitations for only a few more short years). To all others, I encourage you not to dignify this schoolyard rant with your comments, and let this--or the inevitable march of time--close any contributions this gentleman's may have to make to this issue.

Unknown said...

He does not even know the correct English grammar.

He says, "I image".

Why don't you go back to elementary school and get some basic education first, you ignorant old fart.

Anonymous said...

As a Korean, who even has some of good Japanese friends, I would like to say that this is wrong.

Have you ever checked the fact? I think you do not fully know about the whole true history between Japan and Korea in 1900s.
And you mentioned that the statue is for making bad image of Japan, but that's totally wrong.
There's only one ultimate reason why people place statues. This is for receiving a proper apology. That's all. Not for making bad images of Japan, never.
If you look at the historical background more closely, you will find historical clues which tell the story is true.

I know that there was a bad relationship between Japan and Korea before, but nowadays there are many Japanese and Korean people who want to be in a good relationship despite of this history, as well. Don't be lopsided when you talk about this historical aspect, please insist objectively by considering both sides.