The politics behind the comfort women issue

The old Chinese saying, "Fools ask for troubles when peace reigns over the world" might best describe the current disputes, trig-gered by the controversial Japanese comic book On Taiwan (台灣論), which says that Taiwan's comfort women (慰安婦) became sex slaves voluntarily.

When two former comfort women, 80-year-old A-tao (阿桃) and 81-year-old A-chu (阿珠), recently testified about their miseries -- proving that they were indeed deceived and forced by the Japanese troops to perform sex services -- they certainly did nothing wrong by recounting their personal experiences to accuse the Japanese government of wrongdoings. On the other hand, when senior adviser to the president Hsu Wen-lung (許文龍) was quoted in the book as saying, based on his own observations, that the comfort women had become sex slaves voluntarily, I believe he did nothing wrong either.

If we examine the history of prostitution, some girls and women were abducted and forced into prostitution while others were sold by their parents or even became prostitutes voluntarily. Since the reason for becoming a prostitutes varies from one prostitute to another, the reasons for those who became comfort women also vary. The situation is similar to the old Hindu fable, "The blind men and the elephant" (瞎子摸象). In the story, six blind men try to describe an elephant by touching only parts of its body. Some claimed that the elephant was like a wall while others insisted that the elephant was like a rope! Although they failed to give a whole picture of an elephant, none of them were lying.

While the uproar over the book and its claims continues to resound, shouldn't we all be calmly asking the question: Who will benefit from these conflicts?

First, the case was revealed and was further stirred up by some opposition legislators, who gain political benefit when the people of Taiwan's "anti-Lee" (反李), "anti-Japan" (反日), "anti-Taiwan" (反台) and "anti-Chen" (打扁) emotions are aroused. If the statement, saying that Taiwan's comfort women had become sex slaves voluntarily, did not come from Hsu, a major supporter of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), then perhaps the opposition legislators would have lost interest in creating a media furor over the topic. Meanwhile, Hsu is also a close friend of former President Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). Since these opposition legislators, who usually "oppose everything proposed by Lee," have lost their target as Lee is fading out of the political stage, how could they not to seize the chance to attack Lee's friends? This is also the KMT's old trick of "wiping out the enemy's friends to isolate the enemy." In fact, that was exactly the reason the late General Sun Li-jen (孫立人) was put under house arrest by Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正) in 1955.

Second, if a general "anti-Japan" activity can be launched through this case, Taiwan-Japan relations will be damaged and the island will be further isolated, which is helpful for those oppotion legislators to achieve their goal of re-unification between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Third, the case will also lead to a contradiction among different ethnic groups in Taiwan -- and splits between the people of Taiwan have always been expected by the pro-unification groups.

Fourth, the case has become a hot potato for Chen, as he could be criticized both for dealing with it and for not dealing with it. The DPP government has been badly battered by the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) issue, theAmorgos oil spill incident and by the Cabinet's suggestion to draw up a referendum law. If the opposition can further "pour oil over the fire" and sweep Chen's prestige into the dust, they can be assured of political success.

The political trickery behind the case can be clarified easily. I do not blame the people of Taiwan for echoing the opposition legislators' words. It is, however, ridiculous that even some DPP legislators are now dancing with the opposition camp. Where has their political IQ gone?

Moreover, the media has gone out of its way to sing off key this time, giving a really bad example of journalism. When the people of Taiwan were stealing and burning the comic books, not only did the media not condemn such lawless acts, it even tried to rationalize the actions. Some opposition legislators, who have no sense of realism, went further and demanded the government to ban the book. In fact, since Taiwan's Publishing Law (出版法) was revoked, the Government Information Office (新聞局) lacks the authority for such a move, not to mention that it is a violation of the freedom of the press. The media, moreover, has devoted a lot of space to discuss the case. When we turn on the TV, the evening call-in shows are all focusing on the issue with a prejudgment, and some DPP politicians' performances of pretending to look serious on these call-in shows have been absolutely absurd.

The "Chinese legislators" (中國立委), who stirred up the case, are so good at political conflicts that they can create such chaos with only a few lines in a comic book. If they really care about Taiwanese or Chinese people, they should condemn the Chiang administration for the 228 Incident, and the Beijing government, which killed its own people with tanks in Tiananmen Square.

Politicians' words and actions should be tested. We Taiwanese people must stay calm when facing politicians. It is unnecessary for us to dance to the beat of the evil drums.

Cheng Tzu-leong is a professor of the department of advertising at National Chengchi University.