Jun 9, 2007

Asian Americans ask for Japanese apology for comfort women

Bay City News

A group of Asian Americans were calling on the community and elected officials Friday to help lobby the Japanese government to apologize for the prostitution it forced on Asian women before and during World War II.

Members of the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of World War II in Asia, the Chinese Americans for Democracy in Taiwan and others met in a Chinese restaurant today to encourage support for House Resolution 121, introduced by Rep. Mike Honda (D-San Jose).

The resolution urges the government of Japan to acknowledge, apologize and accept the historical responsibility for the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces coercion of young women into sexual slavery.

"This is a human rights issue, this is a women's rights issue,'' Barry Chang said. "This is the right thing to do.''

The Japanese government has not yet made a formal apology, although it has acknowledged the situation, according to Chang.

Some group members said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Congressman Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo/San Francisco) have been giving them the runaround, according to Ignatius Ding, executive vice president of the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of World War II in Asia.

The group alleges that Lantos, who has a strong reputation in human rights, is showing disrespect to voters and to the Asian-American community by not responding to their calls for support for H.R. 121

Members of the group, several of whom are donors to the Democratic and Republican parties, expressed concern that they are used for fundraising purposes but when it comes to action they are left out.

The resolution currently has 129 co-sponsors but requires 218 to ensure passage.

Ding said he does not understand how a morally correct resolution with no financial strings or political agenda can beso easily put aside. The resolution also has 9,000 churches across the United States in support, according to Ding.

Chang and Ding also suggested that if Lantos, who represents a district that is 33 percent Asian-American, can't communicate with them, than perhaps it's time for new representation.

The group backed their threat with demographic numbers from the 12th California District and election results that they feel lend support for putting up their own candidate to run against Lantos in the 2008 election.

Ding said he is "totally puzzled'' by the treatment they have received from Lantos' office. "He has been good to us, until recently,'' Ding said.

Ding said the groups have several candidates in mind, including one well-qualified Asian-American woman, who he declined to name.