Sunday, March 05, 2006

Apology and reparation for Japanese rule

When someone did somthing wrong to others, he should apologize.

If you are going to colonize a nation today, nobody say it is correct.
Japanese colonozation of Korea was wrong in the same sense that any form of colonization was wrong.
Some people say Korea's case is differnt because the largest political party supported the merger and people could be even a member of Japanese Congress.
The merger was not close to what the largest Korean political party wished.Yes,there were a lot of reforms responding to the voices of people;still,I think that is not the way they want to be benifitted.Japan owes them apology just as the western nations owe Asian and African nations apologies.

And yet,

European countries hesitate to apologize and do not reparate to the colonized nations.,
BBC[1]
(I am not sure how the U.S apologized and made reparations to Philpines.If somebody knows, let me know.)
In case of the Netherlands, it was Indonesia that paid when she won the independence.

In contrast,
Japan apologized again and again.
wiki

Japan transfered Japan's entire public and private holdings in Korea at the end of World War II to the Republic of Korea Government .(That is all German did to Poland)
Besides,Japan paid reparations.wiki


This man cites the several reasons why Belgium should make reparations.One of them is ,
Japan has made reparation payments to South Korea for acts committed during the period of invasion and occupation of Korea by Japan link


In this sense, Japan set an example for other nations.


But some Koreans say the apology is not sincere, the reparations are not enough.

I hear some koreans say the similar things to the U.S.
President Bush's apology produced predictable results. It only added to the outrage. It would have done less so if it had been a televised apology, but it still would have done little to quiet the anger. Apologies and actions by USFK and the U.S. government in Korea are most often dismissed as simply "insincere".

In fact, what you can see in the process is that concessions by USFK and the U.S. government often make the civic groups more bold and produce a greater willingness in the Korean masses to support the activists.link

USFK officials made repeated apologies, but they were denounced as late and insincere.GI


I am not sure what will finally end the dispute about sincerity.In a way, you can alway doubt someone's sincerity.
Some people's reaction is like "this is a evidence you do not repent""that is a evidence you do not face the history. You can keep this kind of game, finding the signs that you do not face the histry, for ever and I am sure that there will always be people who are not satisfied 100%.
As a side note,it is interesting that people who complain are often younger generation rather than people who directly experienced Japanese rule.link


I just want Korea to move on.

.................................................................................
Update the insightful article about an apology for the past/foreign dispatches
And Marmot discuss the same issue.

[1]p118 what is history for.Beverley southgate
Australian Prime minister apologized to Aboriginis
In German, some refused to face the past.
In Europe, some repudate their past, others embrace it with pride,still others feel shame to South Africans.
[2]
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입력 : 2004.09.17 12:17 25'
入力 : 2004.09.17 12:17 25'

태평양전쟁 희생자유족회(회장 양순임)는 17일“지난 1961년 한일회담 당시 우리 정부가 일본 정부의 한국인 희생자에 대한 직접보상 제의를 거부하고 국가가 보상금을 받아 지불하는 방식을 택했다”고 주장했다.
太平洋戦争犠牲者遺族会(会長ヤングスン)は 17日“去る 1961年韓日会談当時我が政府が日本政府の韓国である犠牲者に対する直接補償提議を拒否して国家が補償金を受けて支払う方式を選んだ”と主張した. 한일협정 회담서 개별청구권 포기"
"韓日協定会談で個別請求権放棄"


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Dutch withhold apology in Indonesia
The Associated Press

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2005



JAKARTA The Netherlands' foreign minister on Tuesday refused to apologize for the violence in Indonesia before its independence from Dutch colonial rule in the late 1940s, saying only that his expressions of regret had been "clearly received" and come "straight from the heart."

Having served longer than any other prime minister since the referendum (11 years), Mr Howard has had the best chance to make a difference. He has fluffed it. He has rejected calls to make a symbolic national apology for past injustices.


France / No apology for the past

Britain /no apolgy for the past
The U.S. denial of the massare at Korea


Dutch War Crimes
September 9th, 2008,
魚拓

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