Posted on 03/08/2007 6:37:20 PM PST by Calpernia
Japan's ruling party will conduct a new study on wartime sex slaves and the government will provide documents as needed, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said yesterday, rejecting a call from within his party for the government to commission the research.
Abe has stirred anger with remarks that appeared to question the state's role in forcing women to work in brothels during World War II, although he has also said a 1993 apology acknowledging coercion remained in effect.
"The party will conduct the research," Abe told reporters yesterday. "The government will cooperate as needed by providing materials."
Earlier, Abe was presented with a request for a new government investigation by a group of about 130 ruling party lawmakers whose members argue that the statement went too far in acknowledging coercion by the military and the government.
"For the sake of Japanese honor, and for the honor of those Japanese who sacrificed their lives, we should state the facts," said former Education Minister Nariaki Nakayama, who heads the group denying victims' accounts of being confined and beaten by Japanese soldiers at the brothels.
Reopening the question is likely to spark fresh outrage overseas ahead of an expected visit to Tokyo by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in April and a trip by Abe to Washington later that month.
Abe said this week that he would not offer a new apology even if US lawmakers adopt a resolution calling for one.
A non-binding resolution introduced by US Congressman Michael Honda, a California Democrat, calls on Japan to unambiguously apologise for the suffering that thousands of Asian women endured at the hands of its Imperial Army.
Analysts say Abe's recent comments were intended to bolster support from conservatives. He has sought to distinguish between a "broad" notion of coercion which he has said may have occurred while rejecting kidnappings by military officers.
China and both Koreas have expressed outrage over his recent remarks and US media have also taken up the topic.
"Abe took office trying to improve relations with China and (South) Korea, but he has now torpedoed them by pandering to the Japanese right wing's most disgusting tendencies toward historical revisionism," the Los Angeles Times said in an editorial.
Japan is the one that applied to the Security Council.
Yes, I know.
I have stated: People running around seeking insincere apologies and people giving them is silly and useless.
You apparently disagree, which is fine. But why don't you just say so rather then cutting an pasting massive tomes? Why don't you just say "I disagree Rod, it is very important that these people seek insincere apologies, and it is very important that the Japs give them".
You seem to want to ignore actually stating anything in your own words.
Then don't post to me :)
Sorry, when you post threads in a forum you are inplicitly inviting comment. If you don't want people to post to you, then don't post comments. Or, just let my first post go by without responding.
This isn't a day in the life thread.
Furthermore, their are still Japanese alive who fought in World War 2, including some who participated in these war atrocities.
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