일본단체 위안부 기림비 지지서한 전문

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