Liberal Japan

[This entry needs more work. I would have preferred to not post it yet, but given the timeliness of the topic will post it as is, and if possible add revisions to it later. Corrections are welcome …]

Asahi Shinbun wrote an editorial regarding Abe’s comments. It was on-line for perhaps a day or so, and now can only be found in Google’s Cache.

I want to repost the article here because I think it’s important.

Trying to do a proper translation would be too difficult, so my goal is only as follows:

1. To impart as fully as possible the same content as the original (There will be errors!)
2. To be as neutral as possible in doing so.

I will number each line, so if someone wishes to comment, it should be easy for them to reference each line. (Corrections would be great!)

1.「強制性」解釈のズレ、波紋　慰安婦問題、首相の発言　対米韓で危機感も

This is the headline. It states that a translation gap (or miss) of the prime minister’s words creates broad ripples creating a sense of crisis with America and Korea

2.　従軍慰安婦に対する日本政府の姿勢に改めて関心が集まっている。

There has been renewed interest in the stance of the Japanese government in regards to the army’s comfort women.

3.１日の安倍首相の発言が海外で波紋を広げているほか、米下院では慰安婦問題で首相の公式謝罪を求める決議案採択の動きもある。

Prime Minister Abe’s statements on March 1st, in regards to this issue, have created strong ripples overseas. That’s not all, they have also had an impact in the American Congress where currently a bill is being put forth asking that Japan apologize for the comfort women.

4.　首相は軍当局の関与と「強制性」を認めた河野官房長官談話を引き継ぐ立場を変えていないが、談話が示す「強制性」の定義をめぐる解釈のズレも、様々なあつれきを生む背景にあるようだ。（藤田直央、ワシントン＝小村田義之）

The Prime Minister (and the army authorities) intention was to indicate they will continue with the Kono statement without any change of stance. However, there was translation gap (miss) when the conversation turned to the definition of coercion. This was the background in which a lot of discord came about.

5. 　首相が河野談話継承を表明したのは、中韓両国訪問を控えた昨年１０月上旬の衆院予算委員会だ。

Last, October when answering questions questions about the budget in the House of Councilors this topic came up when Prime Minister Abe was answering questions about his trip to South Korean and China. At that time he gave his opinion about the Kono statement.

6.　この時、首相は「家に乗り込んで連れて行った」ことを「狭義の強制性」とし、「行きたくないが、そういう環境の中にあった」ことを「広義の強制性」と説明。

The Prime Minister said that the narrow definition of coercion would be going into people’s houses and taking the girls by force. However, the wide definition of force would be those who didn’t really want to go but were in an environment that compelled them to go.

[Here are Abe’s exact words as translated by the Communist Party of Japan:
“The question should be whether the women were taken out of their houses forcibly, or they wanted to choose to not go but they were in an environment that compelled them to go in the end. The latter can be regarded as a case of coercion in he broad sense of the word.”]

7.　そのうえで「今に至っても、この狭義の強制性については事実を裏付けるものは出てきていなかったのではないか」と指摘し、「広義の強制性」を認めた河野談話を引き継ぐという考え方を強調した。

At that time the Prime Minister pointed out, “Up until now, there has been nothing to substantiate the fact of coercion in the narrow sense of the word.” However, as far as taking “coercion in the wide sense” the Prime Minister noted that he would continue to recognize the Kono statement.

8.　河野氏は９７年の朝日新聞のインタビューで「『政府が法律的な手続きを踏み、暴力的に女性を駆り出した』と書かれた文書があったかと言えば、そういうことを示す文書はなかった。

In an 1997 editorial in the Asahi Newspaper, Kono stated that “as far as documents that would implicate the government in establishing formal procedures for the use of violence to round up women, there are no such documents …

9.　けれども、本人の意思に反して集められたことを強制性と定義すれば、強制性のケースが数多くあったことは明らかだった」と語っている。
(Kono continues)… However, if you define coercion as women being rounded up against there will then there are clearly many cases in which that happened.”

10.　首相が１日、記者団とのやりとりで「当初、定義されていた強制性」について「裏付けるものはなかった」と語ったのも同じ趣旨だ。
In the the Prime Minsiter’s (Abe’s) exchange with the reporters, when he stated as far as “coercion as initially defined, there is nothing to substantiate it.” he meant the same thing as Kono had.

[i.e. Prime Minister Abe thinks, that when talking about coercion in the narrow sense, Kono’s statement doesn’t admit there was any.]

11. だが、この発言には韓国外交通商相が不快感を示し、米国の主要メディアも河野談話見直しと関連づけて報じた。

However, in regards to the Prime Minister’s statement, South Korean Foreign Minister expressed displeasure, and the media in America interpreted as perhaps a revision of the Kono statement.

12. 首相が、強制性自体を否定したととらえられたためだ。

The statement was taken as a complete refutation of coercion altogether.

13.　ただ、日本国内には河野談話そのものを見直す動きもある。

There was also an impact in the country regarding revising the Kono statement.

14.　自民党の有志議員でつくる「日本の前途と歴史教育を考える議員の会」小委員会は「史実を踏まえ、より実証的な表現に修正すべきだ」との提言をまとめる方向で検討を進め、近く首相に申し入れる予定だ。

The current chairman of the “committee for the consideration of what Japanese history education should be”, stated, “we should not step on historical fact, rather we have an obligation to fix previous statements so they reflect the truth.”

15.　首相自身がかつて同会の事務局長を務めており、首相に近い下村博文官房副長官は先月２８日、「本来の安倍首相を支持してくれている保守派の人たちの期待感を裏切るような豹変（ひょうへん）を首相はしていない」と言及。

Prime Minister Abe was in fact, the original chairman of the “committee for the consideration of what Japanese education should be”, and a person close to the Prime Minister, the vice-chief secretariat, Hakubun Shimamura stated on the 28th of February, “It is not the Prime Ministers intention to betray those in the conservative faction that have supported him.”

16. 海外の反応は、こうした国内の動きへの懸念の表れとも言える。

So we can say that the Prime Minister’s statement had an affect inside and outside Japan.

17.　一方、首相発言をきっかけに、１月末に米下院に提出された従軍慰安婦問題をめぐる決議案にも注目が集まり始めた。

Meanwhile the American Congress is debating a bill which asks the Japanese government to apologize for the comfort women. This has gotten more attention because of the Prime Minster’s statement.

18. 同様の決議案はこれまでもあったが、日本政府が共和党の下院議長らに働きかけて本会議採択を回避してきた。

Previously the bill could not get out of committee because of the Republican controlled congress.

19.　ところが、昨秋の中間選挙で多数派となった民主党のペロシ氏が下院議長に就任。

However, the democrats led by Pelosi won control of congress in last Autumn’s election

20. 下院外交委員長も人権派として知られる同党議員になり、今回は採択の可能性があると見られている。

(…) and now there is a real possibility it the resolution will get passed.

21.　４月下旬に首相の初めての訪米を控える時期でもあり、加藤良三駐米大使は「日本政府はすでに謝罪している」と主張。

The Prime Minister will be making his first trip to America at the end of April. The Japanese Ambassador in America has stated emphatically, “The Japanese government has already apologized.”

22. 首相側近の世耕弘成首相補佐官も２月下旬に訪米して米政府関係者に首相の意図を説明した。

An close aide to the Prime Minister went to America to explain Abe’s intentions (aims).

23. ただ、こうした動きが逆に謝罪を拒否しているように映り、「火に油を注ぐ」（日本政府関係者）状況にもなっている。

[Hard to understand but maybe] However, if the prime minister refuses to apologize, it will be like pouring oil onto a fire.

24.　日本政府としては安倍政権が河野談話を継承していることに理解を求めるしか打つ手が無いが、外務省からは「この問題に触ればアジアと米国を敵に回すことになりかねず、外交的には静かにやり過ごすのが得策」（幹部）との声も出ている。

[Hard to understand but maybe] Abe has no intention to change the Kono statement which he inherited. The Foreign Minister of Japan stated, “we will have to be careful not to create animosity with China and America over this. A quiet course would be best.”