Japanese Official Development Assistance as International Bribery for the Comfort Woman Issue in the Philippines
Keywords:
Japan, The Philippines, Comfort women, Official Development Assistance, Asian Women's FundAbstract
The objective of this paper is to analyze Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA) as international bribery for comfort woman issues in the Philippines. Qualitative research was done with rational choice, using secondary data. To resolve the issue of comfort women in the Philippines is challenging, due to lack of government support in voicing victim demands for formal apologies and reparations. The Philippine government argues that the problem was resolved by the San Francisco Peace Agreement of 1951. Victim voices were also rejected by domestic institutions such as the Supreme Court and Regional Trial Courts. The Philippine government prefers to retain diplomatic ties with Japan and strategic foreign policy in line with national interests. However, Japan’s establishment of an Asian Women's Fund (AWF) is an attempt to approach the international community, including the Philippines, to show Japanese moral responsibility for imperialist damages. This paper concludes that generous aid and loan funds for Philippines national development through ODA motivated the government to preserve Japanese partnership and set aside concerns of former comfort women.
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