Singapore rejects 'comfort woman' statue

“There are no ongoing meetings or discussions between the Singapore government and the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery on this issue. Nor will we allow such a statue to be erected in Singapore.”

Ooops .... somebody's plans to spread hatred among the neighbors doesn't seem to be going so well. Congratulations to the government of Singapore for seeing these people for the fanatics they are.

Ooops .... somebody's plans to spread hatred among the neighbors doesn't seem to be going so well. Congratulations to the government of Singapore for seeing these people for the fanatics they are.

You know, while I agree with your statement here I want to play devils advocate a moment and say this;

Other countries have put up memorials for the victims of WWII in their countries and other places as well, I see no problem with acknowledging the victims however I think the timing and motivation are misplaced.

A better memorial would be in my opinion, one to all victims from all countries, and like it or not there were plenty of Japanese victims as well.

Yubaru Jan. 31, 2013 - 09:04AM JST Other countries have put up memorials for the victims of WWII in their countries and other places as well, I see no problem with acknowledging the victims however I think the timing and motivation are misplaced.

But there is a problem with Japan. Recently, two delegations of J-goverment officials visited Palisades Park, N.J. with a request the local goverment remove small monument removed from a public park. The brass monument was dedicated in 2010 to the memory of so-called comfort women, and many Korean who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers during World War II. The J-goverment reps was agressively lobbying to remove the monument. The monument in Palisades Park is the only one in the U.S. dedicated to comfort women. The J-goverment officials have asked the Korean authorities to remove that statue. The consul general of Japan ridiculously said the J-government was willing to plant cherry trees in place of statue. Town officials rejected the request, and the J-goverment delegation left. The second J-goverment delegation arrived short time later and was led by four members of the Japanese Parliament. Their approach was less diplomatic. They said the comfort women were a lie, that they were set up by an outside agency, that they were women who were paid to come and take care of the troops. The mayor of the town refused to take it down. And this is happening today from Japan?

they were women who were paid to come and take care of the troops.

What a load of rubbish! Yeah, they were paid by letting them live. I hate the way the Japanese try to twist history and lie their way out of admissions of guilt. I wonder if this is how it will be written in the upcoming history textbook review.

I think the country where that women were forced into this service should make a decision to allow the statue or not. It does seem like there is continued renewed efforts to come up with different ways to attack Japan's integrity or lack there of. It is starting to look like its just acts of vindictive people while losing the true meaning of remembering these people.

What's done is done ...how many times does it have to be apologized for and in how many different ways. Put it in the books and teach people to behave better than history has shown us not to be.

But there is a problem with Japan. Recently, two delegations of J-goverment officials visited Palisades Park, N.J. with a request the local goverment remove small monument removed from a public park.

I wholeheartedly agree that Korean victims and their supporters can erect all the plaques and statues that they feel they need .... in Korea. While I don't agree with their efforts, they should also be free to lobby other Asian countries similarly affected to do the same.

What I strongly disagree with is immigrants dragging along their historical baggage to countries such as USA, Canada, Australia etc. There is no reason for a monument commemorating Korean suffering to be placed in a park - a public park no less - in New Jersey. The aforementioned countries are nations that welcome immigrants from all over the world meaning there are many ethnic groups, tribes, nationalities that have historical conflicts living side by side. Putting up monuments recognizing every groups grievances is a fool's game and runs counter to the very spirit of immigration.

The local government in NJ that allowed this plaque to be placed in a public park made a mistake. It should be removed since it has nothing to do with the USA and undoubtedly offends many people. I have not a drop of Japanese blood in my veins yet I would complain about this to my local government if I were a resident of NJ ... in the same way I would complain if the Hutu or Tutsi or Croat or Serb or whomever wanted to erect a monument to their suffering in a public park.

Keep that stuff in your own countries please. And if you have no intention of working and playing nicely with others please don't bother immigrating in the first place.

Singapore treading the road of caution. good that they don't want to be part of this "debate"

Great post Hidingout, you beat me to it

Level headed minds needs a level headed action.

People who can't move on with the past can never reach the future. Ahh i hope Japan wont get affected by this issue. Dragging people to their own levels. Even Philippines who has undergone more slavery years than any other nation in asia was able to forgive, how come these koreans' can't?

I agree with hidingout. These things should be kept in your own country.

Singapore Chinese were brutally treated by the invading Japanese. If they are going to allow anything they would be putting up Chinese statues first. They have their own way of going about things. No wonder they do not welcome Korean groups doing this there.

The serious human-rights violations of the so-called "Comfort Women" issue is NOT against ex-comfort women BUT against all of the Japanese people living in the present.

Crazedinjapan & hidingout Hear, hear!

They probably caved in to pressure from you know where.

Hidingout, this question addresses something you wrote in your post: why is there a Holocaust museum in the U.S. when it happened thousands of miles away on another continent?

Hidingout, this question addresses something you wrote in your post: why is there a Holocaust museum in the U.S. when it happened thousands of miles away on another continent?

It's a potentially good question, but first: Which museum are you referring to?

@ Mocheake

Hidingout, this question addresses something you wrote in your post: why is there a Holocaust museum in the U.S. when it happened thousands of miles away on another continent?

Honestly? Not a big fan of that either. BUT, I assume the museum you are talking about was paid for by someone who wanted to use their money in that way, and that it is not located in a public park.

War crimes must absolutely be remembered, and revisionism can't be accepted. Anyway, I don't know how much these activists really care about those poor women. I read on the Korea Times this article: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/01/116_129743.html According to that article, South Koreans drive demand for child prostitution in Southeast Asia, but neither the tourists nor the Korean authorities take the problem very seriously. I wonder: how is this kind of modern sexual slavery different from the problem of "comfort women"? If Korean government and the average Korean were afraid about this problem as much as they are afraid for the problem of "comfort women", well I would think they really feel pity for the "comfort women", but considering basically they don't take seriously what their men are doing in Southeast Asia, well I see their protest mainly like political propaganda.

Hidingout & Nessie, here is the link to its wiki page:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Holocaust_Memorial_Museum They also get a sizable amount of federal funds and are adjacent the Mall in D.C. I want to make clear that I have absolutely no objection to this museum and I am appalled when I watch shows about the Holocaust. It was surely one of the darkest periods of recorded human history. I just wanted to show that other groups have been able to do (even in the States, and on a greater scale) what Korea is trying to do. They have a right to be angry and to try to make people not forget.

@nigelboy: I believe that Japanese government must admit once for all Japanese war crimes, including the "comfort women" matter. Revisionism is shameful. Anyway, my point is that, at the same time, I find absurd and shameful like South Korean authorities, that seem so sensitive towards those poor women, are completing disregarding the current problem of their own countrymen sexually exploiting children in Southeast Asia. I get the feeling nationalism and money are mainly what they matter, when they talk about "comfort women". I'm sorry for those poor women both for the pain that Japanese caused them, and for how South Korean government is apparently exploiting their tragedy for the sake of own business in the first place.

Agree with hidingout

The culture ministry denied claims; “There are no ongoing meetings or discussions between the Singapore government and the Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery on this issue. Nor will we allow such a statue to be erected in Singapore.”

In Seoul last week, the activists unveiled plans to put up the statues—in a number of Asian countries starting with Singapore.

My comment is the story has two claims that made it apparently news worthy, said above. Beginning and end of story. Someone, somewhere decided to stir the pot and got someone, somewhere to get into the news.

Crimes of wwII were dealt with after the war ended. Japan did things, Germany, Russia, France every country did something during the world wars. There were trails and punishments. The End.

Thanks, Mocheake.