From the article of 'Petrel'
No.587 / June 30, 1996

Please send us your opinion and the impression about this article without reservation.

Former Minister of Justice Seisuke Okuno of the Liberal-Democratic Party (the chairman of "Bright Japan" Parliamentarians' League) speaks, "The comfort women were persons who participated as the commercial activities and there was not the compulsion", and is receiving a big criticism from the inside and outside.

He also spoke last year, "I do not permit the one-sided conviction to our country" and the Pacific War was a self-defense war, so he is so to speak a criminal of conscience.

Such insistences are clear to misinterpret the truth of the history and to be extremely reactionary.

In the material that the government published, the notification that "It is necessary to prepare the the equipment of sexual comfort immediately and to get rid of the unwilling commit person of the prohibition owing to the no existence of the equipment" (1937) was gone out, so it is the historical fact that the comfort equipment was set up under the official recognition of the military. ("the material collection of the comfort women for the military")

The Pacific War was not "The Liberating War" of Asia at all, it was the war for the hegemony of the imperialist nations such as Japan and the United States, the invasion to Asian nations was advanced in that, and the problem of the comfort women for the military has been caused, too.

Therefore, it is quite insufficient to get only morally indignant to the Okuno speech.

The important thing for the workers is to accomplish the class struggle against the monopolistic capitals of Japan that appear as an imperialist nation mentioning "the Amends" of cheating.

It is the only road to the unity with the people in invaded Asian nations to accomplish this struggle.

However, the Communist Party, not to mention the bourgeois public opinion, also only criticizes "the absurd speech" of Okuno morally, and asks at most "the historical recognition to the invasion war" of the government, and only shouts to make amends by the responsibility of the government.

Though the Communist Party brings "the invasion war beautification temperament" of Okuno into a problem in the first, they do not have the correct recognition about that Pacific War.

Though the Communist Party asserts "invasion war", but understands nothing about the content of the truth.

They think the war was not an reactionary imperialist war even if seen from either side but the fascism versus democracy war and Japan, Germany, Italy fought "Invasion war", on the other hand, England, United States, the Soviet Union, etc. fought for the ideal of "Peace and democracy".

There will not be aggressive meaning at all to ask "the War beautification" speech of Okuno and "the History recognition" of Hashimoto from such dogma of Stalinism.

Though Hashimoto carried out all no comments about the Okuno speech at this time, he mentioned "the Word of a sincere apology and reflection" at the Japan Korea conference with the president Kim.

He thought that it is "cheap" if the relation of Japan-Korea and the relation to the Southeast Asian nations go well by such "Apology".

This is not that he seriously reflected on the Pacific War (Look at more and more reinforcement of the armament), but only from the reason that he wants to obtain the market and rights in the Asian region promptly.

Even if we would request "the reflection on the invasion war" to such a dirty, bourgeois politician, it might be a kind of "Urinating on frog's face".

'The Red Flag' describes as follows, too.

"What requested to Japan now is the serious reflection from the fact of history.That the government make amends to the victim with responsibility after opening all related material to the public, investigating the fact passage, and clarifying the truth." (21st)

Certainly, the government cuts the investigation of "the Truth" and is refusing "the Amends" in the responsibility of the government.

It is cheating such as "Compensation Allowance" (It is said 2 millions yen or more) by the private "Fund".

However, such problems should be ended to a small bourgeois's fantasy and cheating if it is brought to the question without the opportunity of advancement of the class struggle against the monopolistic capitals.

It is nonsense to expect the elucidation of "the Truth" to the government now.

Especially, while the lawsuit problem will be brought up and even what content Hashimoto's "Letter of apology" will becomes is not clear, the concealment construction of the Japanese government might become strong further.

It is necessary to locate also the demand of clarifying "the Truth" in the fight with the rule of the monopolistic capitals and the one mere "Reflection" and "Sincerity", etc. is not workers'.

It is rather far more realistic to open all the necessary "Material" to the public by the worker's government after overthrown the government.

Moreover, as for "the Compensation" by the private fund that obscures the responsibility of the government, it is not an absolute problem whether it is "the Compensation" by the government or not.

Though workers demand "the Compensation" by the government, it is necessary to tie this fight with the class struggle of the workers against the monopolistic capitals.

Especially, because the government assumes, "The management under the international law ends", and persists in the standpoint that the method of providing the lump sum by the fund is "the Best" (Kajiyama), it is necessary to emphasize even the fight to overthrow such governments.

A moralistic discussion is tend to precede in the comfort women problem.

However, "the Misery" is daily in the world that the monopolistic capitals and the imperialist nations rule.

The viewpoint to struggle with the monopolistic capitals should not be forgotten because it causes inevitably from the severe rule of the monopolistic capitals.

And, this problem is not the mere "Past reflection" but the problem of the "Present" struggle against the Japan monopoly that has appeared again as an imperialist nation.

The criticism by the Communist Party to the Okuno speech and the government is thoroughly small bourgeois, morally, and powerless.

(Yamada)