Newsroh=노창현특파원 newsroh@gmail.com
샌프란시스코의 위안부 기림비가 또한번의 승리를 거뒀다.
샌프란시스코 에드 리 시장이 22일 위안부 기림비를 시 소유물로 정식 지정한다고 밝혔다.
이로써 기림비 철거를 위해 아베 총리까지 나서 압박한 일본의 책동은 무위로 돌아갔고 기림비는 영원히 현재의 자리를 지킬 수 있게 되었다.
그간 일본은 샌프란시스코의 자매도시인 오사카 시장이 기림비를 존치(存置)할 경우 자매관계를 절연하겠다고 위협한데 이어 아베 총리까지 반대의사를 피력하는 등 정치권과 우익이 거센 압력을 제기해 왔다. 그러나 오사카 시민단체와 시민들이 자매절연에 반대하며 기림비 건립을 지지하는 수백통의 서한을 보내오면서 일본의 공작은 힘을 잃게 됐다.
이같은 소식에 이용수 할머니는 "시장님 감사합니다! 샌프란시스코 시민 여러분 축하합니다! 여러분 모두를 한 명 한 명 안아드리고 싶어요! 판사님들 고맙습니다. 미국에 계신 여러분의 수고를 결코 잊지 않겠습니다!"고 기뻐했다.
위안부정의연대 줄리 탕 공동의장은 "위안부 역사를 부인하려는 아베의 정책은 패배했다. 이제는 아베와 그 일당이 진실을 받아들이고, 세계 모든 여성들에게 진실되고 법적인 사죄를 할 때이다. 샌프란시스코 시장과 시의원들 및 시민들은 여성을 성폭행으로부터 보호하는 문제에 있어서만큼은 일본 정부의 위협에 굴복하지 않는다는 점을 명확히 했다"고 의미를 부여했다.
위안부정의연대에서 총무를 맡고 있는 김현정 가주한미포럼 사무국장은, "일본정부는 만천하에 역사왜곡주의 정책을 드러냈다. 오사카 시장이 자매도시 절연을 위협하고 일본 총리까지 간섭하여 기림비 거부를 종용(慫慂)했지만, 그런 입장은 일본 시민들의 입장과는 다르다는 것이 이번에 입증되었다“고 강조했다.
김현정 국장은 “오사카 시민들이 수백통의 지지서한을 보낸 것에서 드러나듯 진실을 덮으려 할수록 진실을 알고자 하는 세계인들의 열망은 더 커질 것"이라고 말했다.
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Voices from Japan: Osaka Citizens Urge SF Mayor “Please Support Comfort Women Memorial,” in disagreement with their own Mayor
As Japan’s Prime Minister Abe joins Osaka Mayor in directly pressing Ed Lee to reject the Memorial,
petitions from Japan expose a contrary view
San Francisco, CA – Over forty (40) organizations and a hundred (100) individuals have written to the Mayor of San Francisco, Edwin Lee, in an urgent plea to ensure the “Comfort Women Column of Strength (hereinafter “the Memorial”)” is formally approved as a municipal monument.
This large-scale petition drive – organized quickly by the Japanese Military “Comfort Women” Issue Kansai Network – comes on the heels of the recently adopted SF Board of Supervisor Resolution, unanimously voting to accept the Memorial as SF city property, much to the chagrin of the Japanese government. Osaka Mayor Yoshimura has been openly threatening to sever Osaka’s 60-year old sister city relationship with San Francisco, should it accept the Memorial as city property. More eyebrows were raised when Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe joined Osaka Mayor’s call to SF Mayor to veto the Resolution and reject the Memorial.
But the people’s voices from Japan in this petition reveal the paucity of their support back home.
The petitioners repeatedly assert that the vehement opposition to the Memorial represents only a minority view in Japan championed by far-right politicians and ultranationalists, and thank San Francisco for erecting a Memorial that stands for human rights, women and peace. Mostly residents of Osaka, the petitioners lament this 60-year-history of friendly relations now jeopardized as Osaka Mayor vowed its untimely end, as punishment for “Japan-bashing.”
In receiving these petitions to deliver to Mayor Lee, CWJC co-chair Ret. Judge Julie Tang said, “CWJC welcomes and salutes the people of Japan in their bold action to make their voices heard, especially while political elites often dominate the airwaves.” She continued, “there are real risks and consequences Japanese people suffer today as a cost to resisting Japanese government’s official policy of historical denial, we are deeply inspired by their courage.”
Phyllis Kim, a CWJC member and the executive director of KAFC said, “It is deeply troublesome that Japan is being led by leaders who refuse to squarely accept the truth and the responsibility for the past. The more they try to cover it up, the higher the awareness will be. It is the Prime Minister Abe and the history revisionists who are bringing shame and disgrace to Japan by denying its past.”
Now the ball lies in Mayor Lee’s court, where he can let the Resolution pass or veto it. Although Osaka Mayor Yoshimura has vowed to terminate the SF-Osaka Sister City Relationship, should the Resolution Pass, such a move requires support from the Osaka City Council. To date, it has rejected Mayor Yoshimura’s proposal to pressure SF to reconsider adopting CW Memorial on two different occasions, in May, and September 2017.
Background:
Comfort Women Justice Coalition (CWJC), a diverse coalition of community-based groups and individuals throughout the SF Bay Area, formed in August 2015 to memorialize “Comfort Women” in San Francisco and to educate the public about Japanese Military Sexual Slavery and Human Trafficking system while Japan engaged in wars of colonial aggression through WWII. Its aim is to remember history, and help bring justice for the victims and eradicate sexual violence against women around the world. On September 22nd, 2017, CWJC unveiled a monument dedicated to the “Comfort Women” in St. Mary’s Square Annex, to remember and honor the victims of “Comfort Women” and all women and girls afflicted by this injustice.
Select submission follows: More available upon request.
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Letter from The Kansai Network of Osaka
November 21, 2017
Dear Mayor Edwin Lee,
We, the Japanese Military "Comfort Women" Issue Kansai Network, was established in 2009 and have been based in Osaka and Kansai region, working in alliance with groups and individuals, as well as victim survivor women, based in various victim countries throughout Asia and The Netherlands.
We were deeply moved and inspired by the erection of the "Comfort Women" Memorial in San Francisco, made possible by the hard work of all the residents of San Francisco Bay Area, comprised of a diverse constituency including people of various ancestries, such as Japanese, Korean, Chinese and many others. They worked in solidarity together, grounded in their common conviction and a shared desire to see a world that chooses to remember history, to demand genuine solution of the Japanese Military "Comfort Women" issue, and the global eradication of all violence against women. Furthermore, we feel utmost gratitude, respect and admiration for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which has responded to the will and action of the City's constituents, in accordance with the most fundamental principles of human rights, and taken a position to unanimously support the Resolution to support and accept the "Comfort Women" Memorial built on full acceptance of the unequivocal facts of history.
On the other hand, as you are aware, Mayor Yoshimura of Osaka City has characterized your City's noble action as "Japan bashing," and "an act that injures the spirit of the Japan-Korea bilateral agreement." In March of last year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) strongly criticized this agreement, stating that it "fails to adopt a victim-centered approach," and indeed, the agreement cannot be seen as one that resolves the "Comfort Women" issue. In addition, in denying the very validity of the "Comfort Women" issue, and calling the Memorial as an evidence of bashing against Japan, then what exactly does he mean by the "spirit of the agreement"?
We are informed that Mayor Yoshimura has communicated directly to you in writing, calling on you to halt the public acceptance of the memorial, so as to prevent it from becoming a municipal memorial. In response, you have stated in your letter to him that the memorial was built with an intent to "remember the victims" and reiterated the solemn duty of the Mayor to take responsibility for the wishes duly expressed by the citizens of San Francisco. Mayor Yoshimura apparently has not even listened, however; he has ostensibly chosen to press on his insistence, and has claimed publicly that he will travel to San Francisco himself to meet with you on this matter. In light of this development, we could not stay silent any longer. We have chosen to try to unify the voices of the citizens of Osaka and Japan to relay them to you directly. We have taken on this action in addition to repeated protests and public awareness-raising efforts in Osaka.
In May and September of this year, Mayor Yoshimura, supported by a circle of his allies, submitted to Osaka City Council a proposed resolution to demand the City of San Francisco to re-examine establishment of the “Comfort Women” Memorial. The resolution was defeated by the overwhelming majority of opposing votes on both occasions. A majority of the members of the Osaka City Council members has expressed their frustrations over the negative effects [that Mayor Yoshimura’s actions might have] on city-to-city exchanges and friendly relations. The news media is increasingly airing voices of disdain for Mayor Yoshimura’s aggressive and single-minded insistence for the termination of the sister city relationship. Use of political pressure and bullying tactics to interfere in a public effort driven by the very citizens and elected officials of San Francisco for the sake of peace and human rights is most shameful for us citizens of Japan.
Is it not a goal of sister cities, to promote respectful engagement by citizens of both cities to learn from each other across the border between the nation states? This year, we are celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the sister city relationship. Recently, a delegation from your office made a formal visit from San Francisco to Osaka, paying respects to our Mayor, the underlying purpose of which is to honor the history of our friendly relations spanning six decades; it is our wish that such friendly manner of engagement continues into the future. Alteration of this legacy is not, and must not be, an object of free, unfettered manipulation by Mayor Yoshimura alone.
It is our sincere desire for the “Comfort Women” Memorial to be approved as a municipal memorial. We would like to ask you humbly to maintain a principled stance, that which would contribute to continuity and development of our sister city.
Sincerely,
The Japanese Military "Comfort Women" Issue Kansai Network
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