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SILENCE BROKEN: KOREAN COMFORT WOMEN -
As I was reading the press release for Dai Sil Kim-Gibson's film, "Silence Broken", I was absolutely astonished to discover the heinous crimes that were committed against women by the Japanese military during World War II. Even more shocking, perhaps, is the continuing denial on the part of the Japanese government that these crimes were ever committed. In many ways, war and rape are two sides of the same coin. Both touch on issues of power, control and abuse. Both affect innocents profoundly and leave those victims forever changed. As I have not been a part of either experiences - I can only say that I think, to varying degrees, both men and women are victims. However, while the men were undoubtedly "broken" by this war - there is absolutely no excuse for sexual slavery. The fact that approximately 200,000 girls and women, were shipped like military supplies by the Japanese government to serve these men is simply sick beyond belief. My heart goes out to these women who had their lives stolen from them… As these women age, there is great fear that their stories will be forgotten. However, as awareness grows about this devastating history, hopefully, their broken silence will not have been in vain. Cynthia Loyst
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