Newsletter

The 2012 East Asian Conference of NGOs on History and Peace was held in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, from October 18 to 21, 2012. With about 150 participants, including NGO representatives from 19 countries and regions including Korea (30 from Korea, 20 from overseas, and 100 from Cambodia), this year's conference was aimed at building a network connecting NGOs in Northeast Asia to NGOs in Southeast Asia, furthering cooperation between them, sharing the historical experiences of the two regions, and improving historical understanding for peace in the future. As Cambodia's ex-king Norodom Sihanouk had died a few days before the conference, silent tributes were offered to the deceased before the main events during the conference. And the participants from countries around the world also attended the incense-burning ceremony hosted by Hotel Cambodiana where they stayed.

Adopted a Resolution Calling for the Early Settlement of the Distorted Japanese History Textbook and the 'Comfort Women' Issue

The History and Peace NGOs Conference in Phenom Penh consisted of International Symposium (18th, Plenary Sessions 1-2-3), East Asian Youth Forum (18th to 19th), Workshops 1-2-3, visit to the National Museum of Cambodia (19th), Field Research 1 (20th, visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Sisovat in Phenom Penh and lecture for Sisowath High School students on the 'comfort women' issue), and Field Research 2 (21st, field trip to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap). This conference attracts attention particularly with the resolution adopted by the NGO participants calling for the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in East Asia, for the correction of the distorted history textbook of Japan, and the early resolution of the 'comfort women' issue. The participants also expressed their support for the statement (issued September 28th) by Japanese NGOs and intellectuals calling for the end of the vicious circle in territorial disputes, displaying their strong commitment to the peaceful resolution of territorial disputes in Northeast and Southeast Asia.

In Session 1 (Experience of the Colonial Periods and Textbook) of the International Symposium on the first day, Professor Bernard Kaganila of the University of the Philippines gave a speech titled 'Japan's Imperialism in the Philippines during War Periods,' discussing war crime and crime against humanity. In particular, he presented the extent to which the 'comfort women' issue was covered in the Filipino textbook. Specifically, he said that textbook Struggle for Freedom by Cecilia Duka devoted about 10 paragraphs to the 'comfort women' issue. According to Kaganila, Duka's book is linking Japan's system treating sex and violence as entertainment to the Nanjing Massacre. Professor Park Sam-heon of Konkuk University made a general comment on the Korean domestic politics in the 2000s and Korea's liberation on August 15, 1945, explaining that South Korean President Lee Myung-bak had called for responsible measures to resolve the 'comfort women' issue. In the ensuing discussion, Professor Chaiyanant Panyasiri of Siam University, Thailand said, "Thailand, although it has never been a victim of colonization by Western powers, may be thought to be in a de facto state of semi-colony caused by globalization."

In Session 2, 'Historical Dialogue between Northeast and Southeast Asia,' Son Sam-nag the former chairman of the Cambodia-Thailand Cultural Exchange Committee presented how the media of both countries distorted the truths about regions around the Temple of Preah Wihear, the disputed area between Cambodia and Thailand. Then Professor Puangtong Pawakapan of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand discussed what made obstacles to historical dialogue between the two nations. Professor Shin Joo-baek of Yonsei University said, "Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia have the shared experiences of being colonized and of the Pacific War," and added, "I hope that these two subjects will bring the two regions together."

In Session 3, 'The Experience of Controversies over Territories and Territorial Waters and How to Resolve Them Peacefully,' Senior Research Fellow Bae Jin-soo of NAHF explained, "While territorial disputes in Southeast Asia are known to far outnumber their Northeast Asian counterparts, Southeast Asia has more room to prevent disputes and make efforts to resolve them through regional security organizations like the ASEAN or the ARF." And the advisor to the Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs Hashim Jalal proposed solutions to resolve disputes and control conflicts in the South China Sea, and the Royal Privy Councillor of Cambodia Son Soubert spoke on 'Peace and War in the Mekong Basin.'

Youth Forum Participants Discussing the Lawsuit Over Damage Done to the 'Comfort Women' and Other Various Issues

In the Youth Forum, the young activists from countries around the world had energetic presentations, discussions, and Q&A sessions on such topics as "Sexual Assaults on Women in War: The 'Comfort Women' Issue," "Sustainable Peace in the Global Village," and "In Pursuit of a World Free of Wars." About 40 participants in the Youth Forum, including the only Japanese one Naoko Jin (Representative of BRIDGE FOR PEACE), discussed the lawsuit filed with the Japanese court over damage done to the 'comfort women' for the Japanese military. Towards the end of the forum, Jung eun-jung on the NAHF administrative staff proposed to form a youth forum dedicated to resolving the 'comfort women' issue and other cases of human rights violation during wartime.

And workshops were held consecutively on the following themes: "Regional Cooperation and the Roles of Civil Society for Historical Reconciliation in Peace Building in East Asia;" "The Shared Norms and Values of Civil Society for Historical Reconciliation and Peace Building in East Asia," and "Evaluation of the 2012 East Asian Conference of NGOs on History and Peace and Development of Agenda for the Next International NGOs Conference on History and Peace." In these workshops, the history NGOs of Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Vietnam explained their activities within their countries, and then there were speeches on lessons to learn from the ASEAN experience, and on the shared norms for peace in the Northeast Asian community (by Professor Hong Ki-joon of Kyunghee University). And it was suggested (by Seol Won-tai, the Director of the Office of Public Relations & Education of the NAHF) that the 'comfort women' issue should be addressed again as the next year's agenda. The field research itinerary included visits to the Tuol Sleng Killing Fields Museum (S-21 Prison), of which dismal atmosphere reminded me of the Seodaemun Prison in Korea, and to the Angkor Wat Temple. The NGO representatives who visited there saw that the perpetrator and the victim of the massacre committed under the Pol Pot regime were gathered together giving testimony. The guide's explanation left me under the impression that the contemporary history of Cambodia is a history of ruthless massacres, and that the line between the perpetrators and the victims was blurred. This may explain the existence of many NGOs on reconciliation or peace in Cambodia that receive support from the international community. The conference concluded with visit to Angkor Wat, the viewing of a documentary film presented by the DC-Cam (Documentation Center of Cambodia), and an evaluation meeting. In the visit to Angkor Wat, a great heritage of mankind, we saw locals relying on the excellent inheritance from ancestors for their livelihood. And the film by the DC-Cam (Title: A River Changes Course, a film in Khmer language with English subtitles) showed us how the lives of young people in the countryside of Cambodia changed their course with difficulty in the big trend of urbanization. On the night the 21st, the day before coming home, the participants from Korea had a quick evaluation meeting at the hotel, freely expressing their opinions: "This conference was a little better than the last," "The NGOs of Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia gathering together are of big significance," "There is a need to keep consistency-continuity in the conference themes," "The conference should be made an annual event," and "The event needs better promotion."