The Fallacy of Contract in Sexual Slavery: A Response to Ramseyer's "Contracting for Sex in the Pacific War"

Over seven decades have passed since the end of Second World War, but trauma from cruelest war in human history continues today, perpetuated by denial responsibility for crimes committed and unjust attempts to rewrite at expense dignity, life, justice victims most serious rights violations. The latest such attempt is a troubling recharacterization sexual slavery enforced Japan during War as legitimate contractual arrangement. A recent paper authored J. Mark Ramseyer, entitled “Contracting Sex Pacific War,” mischaracterizes forced process which freely participated prostitution return substantial reward, denying Japanese government its military atrocious violations committed. argument that flawed disregards breath evidence, including numerous testimonies survivors, findings scholars, NGOs, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations Human Rights Commission, were coerced, deceived, or otherwise manipulated into servitude with direct indirect involvement military, admitted 1993 Kono Statement. This article discusses critical flaws arguments advanced paper, traumatic impact on survivors these crimes, broader implications (and other similar) justifications exploitation.