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The issue of the military sexual slavery by Japan is no longer a local issue between Japan and the countries it once invaded, including Korea, China, and Southeast Asian nations. It has long become a global issue of common interest to humanity that needs to be resolved by the international community. Of course, Japan acknowledged its responsibility to a certain degree in the early 1990s. In recent years, however, it appears that Japan is backing out and refusing to acknowledge its responsibility. Mindy Kotler, director of Asia Policy Point, came to visit the NAHF on April 25, 2014. She sat down with NAHF Research Fellow Seo, Hyun-ju to talk about cooperation in the international community toward the resolution of the 'comfort women' issue. _Editor's Note

Q I understand that you played a significant role in the passage of the 'comfort women' resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007.

Mindy Kotler I was on the advisory team organized by Mike Honda, the congressman who first proposed the resolution. My role was to gather and organize information related to Japan and provide it for him. The advisory team consisted of experts in language, policy, and many other various fields. We did research, and had a discussion to determine the direction in which the drafting of the resolution should go. We also prepared and provided separated handbooks when needed for Mr. Honda to understand certain areas.

Q What are the significance of the U.S. congressional resolution on 'comfort women'?

Mindy Kotler There are three of them. But, before I start, let me make it clear that a resolution is a kind of proposal, not a bill. And it should be also remembered that the passage of that resolution was limited to the House of Representatives. The first significance of the 'comfort women' resolution is that it was the turning point to let people in the U.S. know the existence of 'comfort women' and prove it as a historical fact. Secondly, it was the first time that a large number of Asian Americans have been involved in the adoption of a resolution. Thirdly, it confirmed once again that the U.S. Congress is not divided on issues like prostitution and human trafficking, and finding common ground is easy for both Republicans and Democrats alike.

Q There are monuments for 'comfort women' being built in areas across the U.S., starting from the one that was installed in 2010 in Palisades Park, New Jersey. And the New Jersey, New York, and Illinois state legislatures have adopted 'comfort women' resolutions. How have these activities influenced American society's perception of 'comfort women'?

Mindy Kotler The passage of the resolution helped American society see for the first time that Asian Americans were also one of important groups of voters. And the activities that followed had the political purpose of maintaining and developing the momentum. In other words, they were done with the voters in the community in mind. As a result, some of the resolutions passed by the state legislatures include phrases that are not based on facts or seemingly had no consideration for their potential repercussions in the international community.

The monument is a more complex matter. Immigrants to the U.S., once they have settled down, usually set up monuments as a permanent reminder of the tragedies they have left behind, such as the Great Famine or the Holocaust. On the other hand, the 'comfort women' monuments, it seems to me, are built to pressure Japan rather than simply remember the past. Although it is true that Korean women were the largest group of victims, viewing this issue simply as an issue between Korea and Japan will only deepen the conflict. A careful approach that encompasses the victims of other countries is needed.

Q In 2007 and 2012, the Japanese took out 'comfort women' ads on The Washington Post and a New Jersey local news paper, respectively, claiming that 'comfort women' were far from being sexual slaves and they earned a good income and were treated well. I would like to hear about how American society responded to those ads.

The late Ms. Kim Hak-soon is testifying in
her real name about the military sexual
slavery by Japan on the day before the
Korean Independence Day in 1991.
She was the first of the victims living
in Korea to do so.

Mindy Kotler Not many people read those ads because neither of them was well written or well organized. I found that the front-page ad of The Washington Post was delivering its message with the same tone as the statement denying the Holocaust. At the time when this ad came out, the Chairman of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific was a Holocaust survivor. He was very favorable to Japan until he saw this ad. Once he saw the ad, I heard, his attitude toward Japan has changed completely. Anyway, that ad has made it impossible for Japan to officially deny 'comfort women.'

As for the second ad, I think that even fewer people saw it because it came out only three or four days after Hurricane Sandy. The ad was not only smaller than the one on The Washington Post, but difficult to understand because it was addressing a difficult topic with unclear language. If anyone did understand the ad, he or she would have been outraged by it because of its timing and contents. After all, New Jersey was in chaos in the wake of Hurricane Sandy when the Prime Minister of a certain country was using an ad to complain about a historical issue rather than express condolences to the victims. Fortunately (?), not many people read it. But the fact remains that Shinzo Abe did something that made us question his quality as a state leader. Abe was already drawing a lot of criticism for his controversial actions and remarks. So the absence of response to the ad may have been mistaken as the acceptance of its contents. But since he hasn't stopped making inappropriate remarks, I think that he could come under fire even more because of his past mistakes.

Q Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan keeps mentioning the Kono Statement. What do you think will happen to it?

Mindy Kotler Although the Abe administration is saying that they will uphold it, the Kono Statement has already lost its meaning and been reduced to just a name. Back in his first term, Abe already made an attempt to revise the Kono Statement. He focused on changing the meaning of the Kono Statement, saying that it was not an official apology of the Japanese government. His focus now is to argue that it is not possible to prove that the military sexual slavery by Japan actually existed. In October 2013, The Sankei Shimbun reported that "the testimonies of sixteen victims were unreliable." In other words, Abe has managed to make people question the fact that supports the Kono Statement. After this report, scholars in many countries began to question the fact and showed interested in finding out more about it. The more they did so, the more the Japanese people, in turn, must have wondered whether the fact was true or not. In this respect, it can be said that the strategies of Abe and The Sankei Shimbun have proved quite successful.

Q Going back to the discussion of American society, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once commented on 'comfort women,' saying that they should be referred to as sex slaves instead. Overall, how does the U.S. political community perceive the 'comfort women' issue?

Mindy Kotler Hillary's comment was an appropriate one made at an appropriate time, but it does not represent the U.S. political community's perception. Sexual violence against women in conflict was an issue that was attracting the attention of not just the U.S. but the whole world. And Hillary's comment also reflected this situation. The international community's increasing attention to this issue resulted in the announcement of G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict at the G8 Foreign Ministers' Meeting last year. The awareness of sexual violence in conflict or sex slaves has continued to spread in this way, and this has contributed to the natural spread of the perception that "‘comfort women' are not prostitutes but victims of sexual violence."

In response to the worldwide spread of this perception, Abe is causing trouble by stressing that this issue concerns only Korea and Japan and that Korea is simply complaining. Not only Korea but many other countries also have victims of the military sexual slavery by Japan. Korea needs to make this known far and wide to help the international community understand that the 'comfort women' issue is not limited between the two countries.

Q What do you think the United States can do about the 'comfort women' issue and other historical concerns in Northeast Asia?

Mindy Kotler Most of all, the U.S. could press Japan and help other countries do the same. It could also serve as a mediator bringing specific agenda to public discussion. For example, what Korea demands from Japan is 'a heartfelt apology.' The U.S. could ask Korea to define exactly what constitutes 'a heartfelt apology' and relay the message to Japan. In doing so, the U.S. could also express its hope to both countries that the issue will be resolved at the earliest date possible. Another thing the U.S. could do is to sum up what both countries want from each other from a third party's perspective and offer it to them. For example, 'a reconciliation to be reached should be a legally binding one adopted by the Japanese Cabinet' or other such guidelines about format or condition could be offered, to give them some ideas. It could also help set clear goals that the victims could accept and agree upon. I think that the U.S. is currently moving in that direction.

Q Please tell us about Asia Policy Point.

Mindy Kotler Asia Policy Point is a non-profit research organization based in Washington D.C and dedicated to studying the policies of the U.S. and Northeast Asian countries. It is monitoring developments in society, science, and economy, among other factors that could have an influence on policy, and looking for policy tools capable of interpreting relations. On Mondays, Asia Policy Point publishes an online newsletter announcing various Northeast Asia-related events scheduled to take place during that week and releasing related materials. The information packages or transcripts of those events are also made public to help those interested to follow and understand pending issues in Northeast Asia.

Mindy Kotler in a discussion with Korean researchers of 'comfort women' before the interview on April 25, 2014