The House of Representatives and Senate are on the verge of passing separate resolutions on human rights issues that, no matter how well intentioned, could seriously damage American foreign relations.
House Resolution 121, the "Comfort Women Resolution," demands that Japan "formally acknowledge, apologize, and accept historical responsibility" for the World War II brothels in which as many as 200,000 women, most of them Korean, were forced to be sex slaves for Japanese soldiers. Hearings Feb. 15 before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia featured testimony from three surviving comfort women who vividly described their horrific experiences.
But demands for a formal apology have overlooked some steps taken by Japan. When Japanese historians uncovered detailed documentary evidence on the military brothels, Chief Cabinet Secretaries Kato Kiochi and Kono Yohei issued apologies in 1992 and 1993. The latter stated that the comfort women system "was an act with the involvement of the military authorities of the day that severely injured the honor and dignity of many women," including "immeasurable pain and incurably physical and psychological wounds." Surviving comfort women received letters of apology and offers of compensation through the Asian Women's Fund. (That fund, unfortunately, was disbanded on March 31.)
Why then has the issue not been laid to rest? Critics point out that the 1992 and 1993 apologies were issued by spokesmen rather than the prime minister. Moreover, recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seem to split semantic hairs about the roles of coercion and of the military in this sordid practice. In response to critics, Abe issued a statement on March 26 "apologizing here and now as the prime minister" for the sex-slave controversy.
However one judges the adequacy of the Japanese response, it is unclear how HR 121 serves American national interests. Aside from its position as the world's second ranking economy, Japan is an important ally situated in a "dangerous neighborhood" that includes North Korea. Japan is currently involved in the six-nation negotiations to end North Korea‘s nuclear program. Demands for further apologies are unlikely to encourage Abe, who will visit Washington later this month, and his administration to play a constructive role on the issue.
Japan is not the only target of congressional searches through history for egregious human rights violators. Senate Resolution 106 "calls on the President to ensure that the foreign policy of the United States reflects appropriate understanding and sensitivity" of the Armenian genocide carried out by the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I. It also calls for the president to issue an annual message commemorating the genocide.
Turkey has denied any role in the deaths of some 1.5 million Armenians despite compelling evidence to the contrary, and it has taken action against historians and others who have written about the issue.
Though Turkey has been far less forthcoming than Japan in acknowledging a dark event in its past, the Senate resolution is a gratuitous and misguided effort that can seriously damage American interests in a region where we have no surplus of friends. A NATO member since 1952, Turkey has generally been a faithful partner, joining U.S.-led forces in the Korean War, cutting the oil pipeline from Iraq at great cost to itself during the Gulf War and playing an important role in the military effort in Afghanistan during the past five years.
For most of its history Turkey has looked to the West for its allies, but that orientation could now be in doubt. Only a few years ago a majority of Turks had favorable opinions of the U.S. But largely because of botched American efforts to coerce Turkey into joining the Iraq war, a recent Pew survey found only 12 percent still viewed this country favorably.
Foreign Minster Abdullah Gul visited Washington in February with a view to heading off a resolution on Armenia, but came away empty-handed. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused even to meet with Gul.
Turkey also appears headed for a rebuff in its application for membership in the European Union. The Senate resolution would give Turkey still another reason to look eastward -- perhaps toward Iran.
"Feel good" resolutions denouncing human rights violations are hard to resist, but throwing monkey wrenches into our relations with Japan and Turkey make them very costly.