Opinion

Denying history

By Douglas Lummis

Perhaps you have heard the story of the little boy who was accused of stealing some money, and who fell all over himself trying to deny it. Arguing his innocence, he said, "I didn't take the money. And anyway it wasn't very much money. And I really needed it. And all the other kids steal money. And I meant to give it back."

I was reminded of this by some of the letters I received from ST readers over the last month. In my previous column I suggested that people who feel horror at the kidnapping (rachi) of 13 Japanese citizens by North Korea would do well to notice that the kidnapping of tens of thousands of Koreans during World War II was an equally horrible experience. Kyosei renko means conscription as forced laborers, but to the victims, the experience was that of being kidnapped.

I received a number of letters, some quite angry, arguing that the comparison was unfair. I learnt from these letters that:

1) Korean laborers were not forced to come to Japan; they came voluntarily.

2) Japanese workers were also conscripted as laborers, so Koreans weren't treated differently.

3) There was a war on, so Korean labor was badly needed.

4) Korean laborers who were conscripted and brought to Japan were returned after the war.

5) Korea was not a colony; it was administratively part of Japan.

6) Japan treated its Korean colony better than the British and the French treated their colonies.

7) It is wrong to use the expression "comfort women" (jugun ianfu) or "sex slaves" because all those women were professional prostitutes.

8) All civilized countries set up systems providing prostitutes for their soldiers at that time. Only the Russians didn't, which is why the Russian soldiers committed so many rapes.

One reader offers the (alleged) fact that no Japanese think that there were any forced laborers as evidence that there were no forced Korean laborers. Later he qualifies this by saying no native Japanese (whatever that means) think so. Further on, he qualifies this again to say that only what he calls "eccentric Japanese" or an occasional "professional liar" think so.

Another reader writes that there is no evidence that there were any forced laborers. Both of these arguments assume that the testimony of the Korean forced laborers themselves (including the "comfort women") doesn't count as evidence.

There is one argument here that needs to be considered: that both Japanese and Koreans were recruited as laborers under the same system, so there was no discrimination. To accept this, you must believe that the Koreans were just as eager as the Japanese to devote all their energy to supporting and strengthening the power that was dominating their country. If you believe that, you must ask yourself why Koreans celebrate August 15 as a day of liberation.

I feel sympathy for those who find their history unbearable and want to substitute fact with fiction. But it can't be done.

Shukan ST: Jan. 17, 2003

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