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The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday unanimously passed a resolution condemning Japan¡¯s sexual enslavement of women from neighboring Asian countries during World War II. It was the first time a resolution denouncing Japan¡¯s wartime enslavement of the so-called ¡°comfort women¡± was put to a plenary session in Congress.
Rep. Tom Lantos, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said, ¡°The government of Japan should formally acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner for its Imperial Armed Force's coercion of women into sexual slavery, known to the world as ¡®comfort women.¡¯¡± Rep. Mike Honda, an ethnic Japanese Democrat from California and the resolution's chief sponsor, said, ¡°Today, the House will send a message to the government of Japan that it should deliver an official, unequivocal, unambiguous apology for the indignity the comfort women suffered.¡±
But some say a passing vote is not a foregone conclusion, as Tokyo has been lobbying strongly to block its passage.
The resolution refers to Japan's conscription of "comfort women" as the greatest incident of human trafficking of the 20th century. It calls for Japan to openly reject denials that the women were forcibly recruited and to educate current and future generations of the crime.
The resolution also calls for a statement by Prime Minister Abe to defuse any doubts about the sincerity of Japan's apology for the matter.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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