TWO PROCLAMATIONS IN ONE NIGHT, ONE PERFECTLY PROCLAIMED, THE OTHER ALMOST JEOPARDIZED BY DENIALIST POLITICS. DESPITE OPPOSING FORCES, JUSTICE HAS PREVAILED

“March 8 is International Women’s Day:  A day in which women around the world celebrate their power, demand equal rights and remember all those who have fallen as a result of sexism and patriarchy.  International Women’s day also celebrates the right of women to be free from sexual enslavement and being used as a strategy of war.

This year, the San Francisco Unified School District wants to particularly remember and honor the courage and resilience of the victims of the largest sex trafficking in modern history, euphemistically called the “comfort women”.  During WWII hundreds of thousands of girls and women were sex trafficked from more than 13 Asian counties, China, Taiwan-China, Korea, Philippines, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, East Timor, , Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Boneo, Laos, Okinawa and Pacific Islands, under the Japanese military’s “comfort women” system to be sex slaves of the Japanese military.  This dark history was hidden for over 40 years until these women, the “comfort women” survivors, came out and told the world what happened and demanded apology and reparation from the Japanese government. 

The SFUSD remembers and honors the “comfort women” victims for their courage to break the silence, leading the way for the hundreds of thousands of victims of sexual violence to do the same in the era of the #MeToo movement.  We dedicate this proclamation to the memory of the “comfort women” victims, and urge the school community to comply with the Oct 13, 2015 SFUSD board resolution No. 158-25A1 which states in part:

That the Superintendent and district staff create a task force with community experts to work in consultation to incorporate an educational component of the history of “Comfort Women” of WWII under the Japanese military in its curriculum to educate the community about the harmful effects of sex trafficking in its historical and modern day context for the purpose of preventing and protecting the youth community from sexual exploitation and trafficking…”

“…create a task force with community experts to work in consultation to incorporate an educational component of the history of “Comfort Women” of WWII under the Japanese military in its curriculum to educate the community about the harmful effects of sex trafficking…”

ACROSS THE BAY IN THE CITY OF MILLBRAE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 50% ASIANS (THE DEMOGRAPHIC CATEGORY MOSTLY COMPRISED OF CHINESE AND KOREAN-AMERICANS), OF WHOM  98% ARE REGISTERED VOTERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS FELT THE HEAVY PRESSURE EXERTED BY THE JAPAN LOBBY WHICH IN THE DAYS BEFORE THE COUNCIL MET, TRIED TO KILL THE PROCLAMATION. THE JAPANESE CONSULATE GENERAL EVEN CALLED COUNCIL MEMBERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO EXERT INAPPROPRIATE FOREIGN INFLUENCE.  

AT THE END, WHILE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH THEIR HEADS BOWED DOWN TRIED TO WEIGH JAPAN’S THREATS AND INFLUENCE AGAINST THE PROCLAMATION, MAYOR WAYNE LEE CAME DOWN FROM THE PODIUM WHERE HE WAS PRESIDING, STOOD WITH “COMFORT WOMEN” ADVOCATES, AND ISSUED THE PROCLAMATION IN HIS NAME.  

IT WAS A HUGE VICTORY FOR THE ‘COMFORT WOMEN’ VICTIM ADVOCATES, WHICH INCLUDED ‘COMFORT WOMEN’ JUSTICE COALITION AND THE KOREAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY.  

THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SAT QUIETLY AS MAYOR LEE RECOUNTED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE “COMFORT WOMEN” ISSUE AND ITS CLOSE RELATION TO THE ERADICATION OF SEX TRAFFICKING AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE, A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THE CITY OF MILLBRAE. IT WAS BOTH A SAD DAY FOR THE COUNCIL WHEN ELECTED MEMBERS BOWED TO FOREIGN POLITICAL INFLUENCE, AND A VICTORIOUS DAY WHEN MAYOR WAYNE LEE STOOD UP AND MADE THE DIFFERENCE.

THE NEXT DAY ON MARCH 13, SINGTAO DAILY, THE MOST WIDELY READ CHINESE NEWSPAPER IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, ON THE FRONT PAGE OF ITS LOCAL NEWS PAGE, HEADLINED THE EVENT WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT;

THE LIGHT SHONE ON THE SFUSD BOARD MEETING ON MARCH 12 WHEN BOARD MEMBER JENNY LAM HONORED THE  “COMFORT WOMEN” VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

MAYOR WAYNE LEE OF MILLBRAE CITY PUSHED BACK ON JAPAN LOBBYING AND ISSUED PROCLAMATION FOR “COMFORT WOMEN.”

MAYOR LEE’S PROCLAMATION STATES:

March 8 is International Women’s Day: A day in which women around the world celebrate their power, demand equal rights and remember all those who have fallen as a result of sexism and patriarchy.  International Women’s day also celebrates the right of women to be free from sexual enslavement and being used as a strategy of war.

“International Women’s day also celebrates the right of women to be free from sexual enslavement and being used as a strategy of war.”

This year the City of Millbrae, San Mateo County wants to particularly remember and honor the courage and resilience of the victims of the largest sex trafficking in modern history, euphemistically called the “comfort women.” During WWII, hundreds of thousands of girls and women were sex trafficked from more than 13 Asian counties, China, Korea, Philippines, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, East Timor, Taiwan-China, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Okinawa and Pacific Islands, British colonial Hong Kong under the Japanese military’s “comfort women” system to be sex slaves of the Japanese military.  This dark history was hidden for over 40 years until these women, the “comfort women” survivors, came out and told the world what happened and demanded apology and reparation from the Japanese government. 

The City of Millbrae, County of San Mateo, remembers and honors the “comfort women” victims for their courage to break the silence, leading the way for the hundreds of thousands of victims of sexual violence to do the same in the era of the #MeToo movement.  The City of Millbrae dedicates this proclamation to the memory of the “comfort women” victims, and re-dedicates itself to the eradication of sexual violence and sex trafficking throughout the world.

“The City of Millbrae dedicates this proclamation to the memory of the “comfort women” victims, and re-dedicates itself to the eradication of sexual violence and sex trafficking throughout the world.”

THANK YOU MAYOR LEE OF MILLBRAE CITY. YOU HAVE MADE THE CITIZENS OF MILLBRAE PROUD!

THERE WILL BE A THIRD PROCLAMATION HONORING THE “COMFORT WOMEN” VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS AT THE SF COMMUNITY COLLEGE ON MARCH 21.