What Auckland's rejection of building 'comfort women' statue reflects

Editor's note: Kong Qingjiang, a special commentator for CGTN, is the dean of the School of International Law under the China University of Political Science and Law. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On Tuesday, local officials in Auckland, New Zealand, decided not to allow the installation of a "comfort women" statue on public land in the city. The plan has reportedly drawn strong opposition from the Japanese Embassy in New Zealand, which claimed it could damage bilateral diplomatic relations. A spokesperson for New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that Japan had lodged a formal protest with the New Zealand government regarding the matter. 

The proposed bronze statue, to depict a girl seated next to an empty chair, is in memory of survivors of the "comfort women" system. It could have served as a symbol for the city to embrace historical truth and practice peace education. Regrettably, Auckland rejected this decision under pressure from the Japanese Embassy.

Then, a question arises: Why was Japan so afraid of the "comfort women" statue that it coerced the New Zealand government, particularly the local government of Auckland, into disallowing its installation?

It is a proven fact that during World War II, Japan forced millions of women from certain Asian countries to be sex slaves for Japanese military forces who conducted aggressive operations in the Asia-Pacific region. Such barbaric acts of Japan inflicted lifelong suffering upon the vast number of comfort women. Over the decades following the war, many of them suffered from severe psychological trauma. But up until now, we have never heard a word of apology from Japan.

As a matter of fact, some Japanese political and right-wing factions have long attempted to deny the facts of "forcible recruitment," glorifying "comfort women" as "voluntary prostitutes" or a "necessary evil of war." To compassionate people, these Japanese seem to have caught a kind of symptom that is manifested as acts of questioning of survivor testimonies, as exemplified by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's claim that there was no evidence of official coercion of comfort women. For them, the "comfort women" issue is perhaps a national "stigma." Consequently, they are preoccupied with evasion of historical truth and revision of textbooks; when facing international criticism, such as resolutions of the General Assembly of the United Nations or even the building of statues, the Japanese government often reacts fiercely, perceiving these actions as assaults on national dignity rather than purely human rights issues.

Such a symptom leads to behaviors characterized by "anger stemming from shame," such as applying diplomatic pressure or threatening to sever sister-city relationships. Furthermore, the Japanese government typically adopts a "settled" stance on the matter. It argues that the 1965 agreement restoring diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea resolved the issue of compensation. This attitude shows that Japan is attempting to permanently "seal" the historical issue through lump-sum payments rather than pursuing deep reflection and reconciliation.

Japan's coercion of New Zealand in abandoning the "comfort women statue" plan is not an isolated incident. In fact, over the years, Japan has demonstrated a pattern of sabotaging WWII commemoration events in various parts of the world. Last year, Japan ordered its diplomatic missions to obstruct peace-loving countries and peoples around the world from attending the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in Beijing.

One cannot help but ask: As a country that once launched wars and massacred civilians across the Asia-Pacific region, what is Japan's true motive for repeatedly sabotaging peace commemoration events around the world?

On April 29, a photo exhibition focusing on actrocities by the Japanese army during WWII was held in Yokohama by a local Japanese peace group. Visitors to the exhibition expressed concerns that Japan's history of aggression is being deliberately downplayed, leaving younger generations without a complete and truthful understanding of history.

Japan's attempts of obstructing peace commemorations externally while whitewashing its history of aggression internally are coordinated: It is constantly and deliberately creating a climate among public opinion to justify it path of "new militarism," including military expansion and constitutional revision.

The "remilitarization" of Japan is a living reality. In this context, all Asia-Pacific region countries that once suffered from Japanese aggression, as well as all peace-loving countries and peoples around the world, should take history as a mirror and remain vigilant against Japan's behaviors of whitewashing history and denying its acts of aggression.

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