日軍的戰略物資—慰安婦

日軍的戰略物資—慰安婦

有關日軍何以設置慰安婦制度，歸納學者專家的研究，分幾點要素：一、提供性服務可以穩定軍隊，安定軍心，增加戰鬥力；二、實施慰安婦制度可以維護軍紀；防止強姦，避免國際輿論批評；三、防止性病，確保戰鬥力；四、維護治安，防止軍事機密外洩；五、對敵國女子的發洩；六、使皇軍擺脫面臨戰爭、死亡的恐懼等。因此，「慰安婦」可以說是皇軍不可缺少的軍需品，同時也是一種戰略物資(1993,香港 明報出版社)*註1。

日本軍部考慮設置慰安所的原因，是怕性病蔓延而影響日軍戰鬥力。早於1918年日本出兵進攻西伯利亞時，就曾面臨過這種情形。當時日軍派遣七萬兩千名軍人前往西伯利亞，結果一場戰爭下來陣亡者僅有三千四百餘人；然而患有性病者卻高達一萬八千餘人，其中兩千多人更是重病患，嚴重地削弱了日軍的戰鬥力(謝永光，1993)註2。在保持軍力、防止性病蔓延的前題下遂而設置由軍中管理的慰安所。聯合國人權委員會特別調查員庫瑪拉絲瓦蜜（Ms.Radhika

Coomaraswamy ,1996) 註3指出:戰爭期間迫使婦女向武裝部隊提供和/或供武裝部隊洩慾的性服務，是一種軍隊性奴役行徑。慰安婦的做法應被視為一個明確無誤的性奴役制的情況。她認為「軍中性奴隸」一詞，更貼切反映出那些在戰爭期間每天遭受輪姦和殘酷虐待，淪為性奴隸的婦女受害者慘況。

據日本東京中央大學吉見義明教授指出，慰安所的地點遍布於中國、香港、菲律賓、馬來亞、爪哇、緬甸、新加坡等地，而慰安婦的來源包括來自日本、韓國、台灣、中國、菲律賓、印尼及荷蘭的女性(1993, 吉見義明)註4。

Japanese Military Assets—“Comfort Women”

To summarize experts’ research, the Japanese military instituted the system of military comfort woman for the following purposes 1). To stabilize and calm the soldiery, elevating combat power; 2). To help maintain discipline and prevent rapes, hence avoiding international condemnation and criticism; 3). To prevent venereal disease and preserve combat power; 4). To maintain discipline and order; to stop any leak of military secrets; 5). To allow venting against women from enemy countries; 6). To relieve the Imperial soldiers’ fear of war and death. As such, “comfort woman” can be called a military necessity and a strategic asset for the imperial army.

The Japanese military headquarter established comfort stations for fear of the spread of venereal disease, which would have weakened the combat forces.  In the invasion of Siberia in 1918, Japan experienced this kind of circumstances.  Out of the 72,000 soldiers sent to Siberia at the time, Japan sustained a casualty of only 3,400, yet 18,000 soldiers were stricken by venereal disease, seriously reducing the military strength (Hsieh Yung-kwong, 1993:12).  To preserve combat forces and to stamp the spread of venereal disease, the Japanese military set up and managed comfort stations.  Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, pointed out that wartime enforcement of sexual service for the armed forces was a form of sex slavery.  The implementation of the military comfort woman system was de facto sex slavery.   She believed that “military sex slave” brought out more appropriately the comfort woman’s daily misery of repeated rapes and de-humanizing abuse.

According to the research of Professor Yoshimi Yoshiaki at the Tokyo Central University, comfort stations were strewn across China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Java, Burma, Singapore, and elsewhere.  Comfort woman came from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Holland (1993).

註解:

1.Chu Te-lang’s Taiwan Governor’s Office and Comfort Women.  Tokyo: Mingshi Bookstore, 2005.

2.Hsueh Yung-kuang’s Inside the Japanese Military Comfort Women.  Hong Kong: Mingbao, 1993.

3. “Comfort Women Incident Investigative Report” by Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy, United Nations Humans Rights Commission Investigator, 1996.

圖:P34

Indonesian woman sexually assaulted by the Japanese solders. From North Korean, South Korean, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and other countries, many brave female victims stepped forward in their real identities, yet the Japanese government refused to make reparations.(Photographed in Sukabumi, Indonesia)

P.35

Soldiers waiting outside the comfort station. In the wake of the Pape of Nanking, Japanese armed forces committed massive rape and assault against women. Not even the-year-olds escaped the fate of gang rape. To maintain military discipline, the Japanese commander ordered the implementation of the system of comfort stations.

圖出自於本會出版之沉默的傷痕