Date: Thurs, 10 July 2003 Japanese Women Protest Politicians who Defend Gang Rape
Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center Tel +81 3 3780 5245, Fax +81 3 3463 9752 Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: www.jca.apc.org/ajwrc/ Dear friends, It has become a big political scandal that some politicians of ruling party of Japan made remarks to defend the gang rape case that happened at a university, saying that "those rapists are virile" and "the victim wanted it by the way she dressed." Those politicians made such remarks at a panel discussion on declining birthrate, justifying men's domination over women's body and denying women's sexual and reproductive rights. Japanese women are vigorously protesting to those remarks and demanding resignation and official apolocy of the politicians. Please find as below the statement of Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center based in Tokyo. We also ask for your endorsement of this statement, as well as for your cooperation to disseminate this information widely. For further information, please contact AJWRC <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> You may find details on the rape remarks at the followings: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/030704/ap/d7s2s4k80.html http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type= worldNews&storyID=3031900 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3042316.stm STATEMENT We demand the resignation of Mr. Seiichi Ohta, a former cabinet minister and member of the ruling Liberal Democratic party, as well as an official apology from former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. At an open forum of the private-kindergarten association held on June 26, 2003, Mr. Ohta commented that those who engage in gang rape are "virile" and "close to normal." There have been various outcries against his comments, to which Mr. Ohta continually replied by explaining his "intentions." However, in listening to his explanations, as well as the defensive comments from other council members who attended the forum and the ensuing media coverage, we believe that the serious issues and consequences of his comments have yet to be fully recognized. First, while Mr. Ohta himself (as well as other members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who attended the meeting, and forum moderator Soichiro Tawara) said that rape is intolerable, they still continue to defend Mr. Ohta's comments as being a "joke." This clearly demonstrates that they are lacking the fundamental ability to imagine the serious physical and psychological damage that women victims/survivors of rape must suffer, and it shows moreover that they also lack an understanding that forced, unwanted sexual relations are a violation of human rights. Furthermore, we would like to point out the significance of the context within which Mr. Ohta's statement was made. As a defense for his statement, he said, "one cause of Japan's declining birthrate is that men are lacking virility to desire their spouse," and "they should have looked for women for marriage if they wanted to have sexual relations so badly." These explanations show that Mr. Ohta understands that the sexual relationship between women and men requires the "virility" of men as strong enough to be able to rape or dominate women. Moreover, it shows the opinion that there should not be a relationship between women and men other than legitimate marriage. However, sexual relationships whereby one person dominates and oppresses the other represents nothing other than sexual violence -- regardless of whether or not marriage is involved. Mr. Ohta's opinions are also indicative of the fact that the present debate regarding Japan's declining birthrate remains in total disregard for women's reproductive and human rights to self-determine the fate of our own bodies. At the very same forum, Mr. Mori Yoshiro, a former prime minister, made comments such as "women do not bear children because they just want to enjoy their freedom," real social welfare means issuing pension payments only to women who have given birth, "women who are not married have unnatural ideas, etc." According to such comments made by Mr. Ohta and Mr. Mori, the causes of the declining birthrate are women "selfishness," and a lack of "male virility resulting in their inability to dominate women." Such comments also reveal the line of thinking that reproduction requires men to dominate and control women's body through the institution of legal marriage. They never mentioned men who are not making children, holding women as those solely responsible. This is utterly irrational, one-sided, and also self- opinionated. We would like to point out that such comments, which put women under the control and domination of both men and the state for the sake of measures to counter the declining birthrate, is as serious and intolerable as were the comments regarding rape. This must not be overlooked. We vigorously protest the comments by Mr. Ohta tolerating gang rape, the defensive explanations by his cohort, and also the related comments by Mr. Ohta and Mr. Mori regarding the declining birthrate that represent a serious infringement of women's human rights. As a result, we demand Mr. Seiichi Ohta's resignation and official apology from former Prime Minister Mori. Asia-Japan Women's Resource Center Tel +81 3 3780 5245, Fax +81 3 3463 9752 Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] URL: www.jca.apc.org/ajwrc/ -- Hisako Motoyama <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
