戦後：米下院の慰安婦謝罪決議全文を読んでの感想（英）

以下は、米下院で審議中の日本の戦時中の慰安婦の扱いにまつわる性犯罪について政府に公式な謝罪を求める下院決議HR110-121（国内外メディアの報道）に関し、アジア（バングラデシュ）の同志からコメントを求められて、決議文全文を読んだのちにコメントを返したもの（訳文はまた時間あるときに載せる）。ちなみにこの同志はアジア人権委員会（Asian Human Rights Commission）の委員でもある。

XXXXXXX,

I read the resolution in full.
I must say this goes too far.

Although I personally acknowledge that the crimes against humanity and war crimes of forced sexual servitude and other violations did in fact occur and that Japan should compensate for their crimes committed if not punished, the Japanese government and the people have acted on its responsibility by setting up a privately-operated but publicly funded compensation fund. Several govt representatives have expressed their sincere apology in a public setting, albeit that it did not specifically address the 'comfort woman' issue.

I think you as an Asian would understand the tendencies of our people to apologize generally to seek forgivenss while not making clear to what and for what specific reason  the apology was given for. I think it's common practice in Asia. The incapacity of the Japanese public officials to do the internationally accepted  style of apology stems from the fact that as representatives of the people, they would only express their feelings in words and forms that their constituents will understand. In other words, they are not truly looking at the  world when they are in fact addressing the world. The scope of their 'public' or the 'world' is that narrow. This, I think can be said as our cultural weakpoint. But as you might well acknowledge, cultural weakpoints are not to be publicly criticized or scrutinized but respected, and especially not to be infringed upon.

I think the wording of this resolution is too strong and it demands too much on the behest of the alleged victims. The victims were offered compensation, both from the people and the govt of Japan but they rejected them saying it was not enough without a formal, international public apology from the govt. That's asking too much... To what extent would this go? And what level of apology is the level that is expected? This has been going on in circles for the last few decades and it showed no progress. With the rising nationalist sentiment both in the general public and the politicians, I think it is best that the U.S. Congress will refrain from passing this resolution, in its present form, to avoid the political as well as diplomatic impasse that such action might cause.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXX