Abe: No new apology for war brothels

[bbson john]

TOKYO, Japan (AP)- Abe, elaborating on his denial last week that women were forced to serve as frontline prostitutes, said none of the testimony in hearings last month by the U.S. House of Representatives offered any solid proof of abuse.

"I must say we will not apologize even if there's a resolution," Abe told lawmakers in a lengthy debate, during which he also said he stood by Japan's landmark 1993 apology on the brothels.

Historians say that up to 200,000 women -- mostly from Korea and China -- served in Japanese military brothels throughout Asia in the 1930s and '40s.

Accounts of abuse by the military -- including kidnapping of women and girls for use in the brothels -- have been backed up by witnesses, victims and even former Japanese soldiers.

But prominent Japanese scholars and politicians routinely deny direct military involvement or the use of force in rounding up the women, blaming private contractors for any abuses.

Abe last week sided with the critics, saying that there was no proof that the women were coerced into prostitution, igniting a storm of criticism and protests in South Korea and other countries where the women came from.

On Monday, he elaborated, saying there was no evidence of coercion in the strict sense -- such as kidnapping -- but he acknowledged that brokers procuring women otherwise forced the victims to work as prostitutes. Abe did not explain further.

The U.S. House is considering a nonbinding resolution that would demand a formal acknowledgment and apology from the Japanese government for the brothels.

A House committee heard testimony last month from women who described being taking captive by Japanese authorities and repeatedly raped as so-called "comfort women."

Abe suggested he did not consider such testimony conclusive evidence.

"There was no testimony based that had any proof," he told lawmakers Monday.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/as....ap/index.html

What the hell? If those Japs aren't apologising for it, it's their standpoint, but how could they deny this historical fact? Many a Japanese soldier witnessed the abduction of Chinese and Korean women for war brothel. How could they'd thrown all these evidence away? I am really disappointed and angered by the Japanese Government. And I think there is need for the apology, as well as for a compensation for all the victims.

p.s. Please vote for in the "quick vote" section inside the link.

 

[Jintor]

Wtf Japan.

Or rather, wtf Japanese government.

/EDIT Link gives a 404.

 

[bbson john]

/EDIT Link gives a 404.

Fixed.

p.s. Why do we have to keep fixing the link?

 

[Nemesis6]

Because Japan is a nation of warriors. And a warrior doesn't discredit himself volountarily, now does he?

Japan has a serious problem with this. In about 50 years or so, they will talk about how they, led by the Son of the Heavens, Hirohito, beat the United Satans of America in WW2.

 

[bbson john]

Japan is a nation that I can never understand. Seeing that hundreds of men killed themselves after the emperor pronounced a surrender in WWII

 

[Jintor]

Massive culture gap.

 

[kirovman]

It's that Shinto religion thing.

 

[Flyingdebris]

there is a term i use for situations such as these
it goes along the lines of "loljapan"

this useful phrase covers all of japan's bizarre, horrible, or misc. offputting behavior.

ww2 atrocities? loljapan
creepy thinly disguised pedophelia? loljapan
perverted japanese business men? loljapan

so on and so forth.

 

[Jintor]

I hear he apologised yesterday.

 

[Sebastian]

after all the great video games you've put out Japan, how could you do this?