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HCON 226 IH

Expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of Japan should formally issue a clear and unambiguous apology for the sexual enslavement of young women during colonial occupation of Asia and World War II, known to the world as `comfort women', and for other purposes.

June 23, 2003

Mr. EVANS (for himself, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. HONDA, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. LEE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. TOWNS, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. LANTOS, Mr. WOLF, Ms. SOLIS, Ms. WATSON, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mr. KUCINICH, Ms. LINDA T. SANCHEZ of California, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. LAMPSON, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. SANDERS, and Mr. LIPINSKI) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

Expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of Japan should formally issue a clear and unambiguous apology for the sexual enslavement of young women during colonial occupation of Asia and World War II, known to the world as `comfort women', and for other purposes.

Whereas the Government of Japan during the colonial occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands during World War II organized the subjugation and kidnapping of young women for the sole purpose of sexual servitude, known to the world as `comfort women';

Whereas the enslavement of comfort women was officially commissioned and orchestrated by the Government of Japan to include gang rape, forced abortions, sexual violence, human trafficking, and numerous other crimes against humanity;

Whereas the comfort women were girls as young as 13 years of age or women separated from their own children;

Whereas the comfort women were either abducted from their homes or lured into sexual servitude under false pretenses;

Whereas many comfort women were eventually killed or forced to commit suicide upon cessation of hostilities;

Whereas historians conclude that as many as 200,000 women were enslaved but very few survive today;

Whereas the Government of Japan did not fully disclose these war crimes during negotiations for reparations with former enemies and colonial states and further it did not officially acknowledge the crimes until 1994;

Whereas the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) concluded after a 1993 mission of inquiry that `these women are entitled to the fullest possible relief permissible in international law';

Whereas the Government of Japan has not issued state reparations to former comfort women or acknowledged governmental responsibility for this crime against humanity; and

Whereas the United Nations Special Rapporteur on violence against women concludes that a private fund to compensate comfort women `is a clear statement [of the Government of Japan] denying legal responsibility for the situation of these women and . . . does not vindicate the legal claims of comfort women under public international law': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that the Government of Japan--

(1) should formally issue a clear and unambiguous apology for the sexual enslavement of young women during the colonial occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands during World War II, known to the world as `comfort women';

(2) should immediately pay reparations to the victims of these crimes;

(3) should educate future generations about this horrible crime against humanity; and

(4) should publicly refute claims that the subjugation and enslavement of comfort women never occurred.

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