US panel urges Japan to apologize to comfort women
The bill, unanimously passed by voice vote, said it was the sense of the House that Japan should formally “acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility” for the coercion of young women into sexual slavery during its colonial and wartime occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands from the 1930s through the duration of World War II.
Rep. Mike Honda, a California Democrat who sponsored the bill, said some 200,000 women were coerced by Japanese troops into sexual slavery and they had to endure gang rape, forced abortions, humiliation and sexual violence resulting in mutilation, death or eventual suicide.
To date they have not received a proper apology from
“The passage of H. Res. 121 marks an important step forward in the healing process for these women, and brings us closer to demanding accountability and justice for present-day crimes against women and young girls,” he said.
Honda was born in
Honda said the House in unanimously approving the bill has sent a clear message to
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Honda said historical reconciliation was crucial to prevent future atrocities.
“Only by honoring the memory of these atrocities will we be able to continue challenging nations of today to abide by shared human rights norms. I sincerely hope that the government of
A resolution is a legislative measure generally employed to express the sentiments of the House or the Senate. It carries no legal weight.
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