ホロコーストやアルメニア人虐殺を並置する事で、
ユダヤ人やアルメニア人を味方に引き込む戦術は成功している
これはEiji Nakanoさんが教えて下さったニュース。
韓国系が反日運動にアルメニア系を利用すれば、アルメニア系団体も慰安婦問題を反トルコキャンペーンにある意味利用したのだろう。
グレンデール市の慰安婦像問題では韓国系の推進団体がアルメニア系の協力を取り付けた（韓国系とアルメニア系を合わせると、市の人口の半分になる）。事態を憂慮したロサンゼルスの日本総領事館はアルメニア系の説得に動いた。その結果、「帝国陸軍により行われた犯罪に対して、日本政府はアルメニア人虐殺に対するトルコ政府よりも遥かに前向きに対処してきた」という評価を得るに至るが、アルメニア系団体の側からすれば、これはトルコに対する牽制なのだろう。日本側はこの高評価と引き換えに、アルメニア人虐殺に対する日本政府の認識不足を改めるよう釘を刺されたのである。
筆者が日本陸軍によって性奴隷制に強制された20万人の若い女性の問題と言っているように、領事館側は例によってひたすら「謝りました、賠償しました」を繰り返すに留め、慰安婦問題に関する詳しい説明はしていないと見られる。不満に思う人もいるだろうが、反日運動とアルメニア系を分断することが優先事項であり、領事館としては致し方なかったのかもしれない。アルメニア系も好んで日本を敵に回そうとはしないだろう。外交とはすなわち駆け引きである、といったところか。
アルメニア人虐殺と日本軍の軍用売春所（military brothel）の問題を一緒くたにされる理不尽を解消するのは一外交官には無理な話で、これは政府の仕事である。
Japan and Turkey: On ‘Comfort Women’ and Genocide
BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN
The sleepy town of Glendale became the center of a major international controversy on July 9, when the City Council approved a memorial to ‘comfort women’ — a euphemism to describe up to 200,000 young females who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during its occupation of Korea and neighboring countries before and during World War II.（7月9日、市議会が「慰安婦」--第二次世界大戦中とそれ以前に、占領された朝鮮や近隣諸国で日本陸軍によって性奴隷制に強制された20万人の若い女性に対する婉曲表現--の碑を是認したことにより、午睡を貪っていたグレンデールの町は国際的な論争の震源地となった）
The City Council, after hearing conflicting testimonies from members of the local Japanese and Korean communities, approved with a 4 to 1 vote the installation of a monument in Glendale in honor of ‘comfort women.’ At the unveiling ceremony of the monument, council members Ara Najarian and Zareh Sinanyan expressed sympathy for the plight of “comfort women,’ as their own Armenian ancestors had suffered from mass atrocities in Turkey.
Concerned by the parallels drawn between the genocide of Armenians by Turkey during World War I and the Japanese military’s sexual enslavement of ‘comfort women’ during World War II, the Consulate of Japan in Los Angeles sought a meeting with the Armenian National Committee of America to present its government’s position on this issue.
During Deputy Consul General Masahiro Suga’s meeting with ANCA, it became evident that the Japanese government had been far more forthcoming regarding the crimes committed by the imperial Japanese army than the Turkish government was on the Armenian Genocide.（ANCAとスガ・マサヒロ副領事の会談の中で、日本政府が日本帝国陸軍による犯罪に対し、アルメニア人虐殺に対するトルコ政府よりもはるかに前向きであったことが明らかになった） Mr. Suga explained that Japan had recognized its responsibility for violating the rights of ‘comfort women’ by issuing an apology, and offering compensation to the victims.（スガ氏は、日本政府は謝罪を表明し被害者に賠償することにより「慰安婦」の人権を侵したことを認めたのだと説明した）
Nevertheless, the ‘comfort women’ remain dissatisfied with Japan’s acts of “atonement,” accusing Japanese officials of making conflicting announcements on this issue. Most ‘comfort women’ have also rejected the offered financial compensation, claiming that it was partially provided by private sources and not the government of Japan. In 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a resolution in support of ‘comfort women,’ urging the Japanese government to “formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Forces’ coercion of young women into sexual slavery.”
To find out how Japan’s reaction to the issue of ‘comfort women’ differed from the Turkish government’s denialist stand on the Armenian Genocide, I interviewed Jun Niimi, the Consul General of Japan in Los Angeles. He fondly spoke about his “affinity” toward Armenians developed during his 1995-98 service at the Japanese Embassy in Tehran, and his subsequent visits to Armenia, while stationed at the Embassy of Japan in Moscow.
Regarding the Japanese government’s position on ‘comfort women,’ Mr. Niimi explained that Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama issued a statement in 1995, expressing “deep remorse” and “heartfelt apology.” Japan also “provided atonement through the Asian Women’s Fund.”
Turning to the differences in the reaction of Turkey to the Armenian Genocide and Japan’s to the abuse of ‘comfort women,’ Consul General Niimi made three points:
“The government of Japan is well aware of the tragedy of the Armenian people at the beginning of last century. We would like to express our deepest condolences and sympathy to the victims. It is our strong belief that this kind of tragedy should never be repeated. The second point is regarding the position of the Turkish government. This is about another country’s position. Even though we are aware of that atrocity, yet, we are not in a position to grasp the details of precisely what happened a century ago in that area. So we cannot make a comment on the Turkish government’s position. But, I would like to repeat that we are aware of the tragedy and would like to express our sympathy and condolences. And the third point is that, regardless of the position of the Turkish government, the Japanese government’s position on the issue of ‘comfort women’ is that it expressed apology and remorse and made efforts to extend support to former ‘comfort women.’”
I informed the Consul General that Japan’s position on the Armenian Genocide is not much different from that of Turkey. I asked Mr. Niimi to relay to his country’s Foreign Ministry that Japan’s lack of acknowledgment of the Armenian Genocide reinforces the skepticism of those who question the Japanese government’s sincerity in dealing fairly with the issue of ‘comfort women.’（私は新見氏に、アルメニア人虐殺に対する日本政府の認識不足は、「慰安婦」問題を公正に取り扱おうとする日本政府の誠意を疑う人々の疑念を深めるだろうという事を彼の国の外務省に伝えるよう求めた）
In response, the Consul General of Japan expressed his understanding that “the word tragedy doesn’t sound good to you, because it’s genocide.” He promised to convey to his government “the sentiments of the Armenian community” on this issue.（彼は、アルメニア人コミュニティのこの＜虐殺＞問題についての感情を彼の国の政府に伝えることを約束した）
Asbarez 2013.9.3