More than 70 years have passed since Japan drafted Women for Military Sexual Slavery but still there's no reparation, no apology.
Today the issue is up for consideration by the US Congress. On January 31, Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) introduced the Comfort Women Resolution (HRES 121), which calls upon the Government of Japan to formerly acknowledge and apologize for the atrocities committed by soldiers of the Imperial Army during World War II. On June 25, the resolution passed the Foreign Affairs Committee by a wide margin (39-2).
Many of the former Comfort Women are now 80 or 90 years old.
With each passing year, the need for justice grows more urgent. Please
take 3 minutes of your day to call the following Congressmembers:
1. Thank Tom Lantos, Chairmain of the Foreign Affairs Committee at (202) 225-3531:
My name is <YOUR NAME> and I am calling from <YOUR ZIP CODE>. I want to thank Rep. Lantos for taking leadership on the Comfort Women Resolution. The atrocities Comfort Women have faced still haunt these women and our community and we thank you for bringing them one step closer to justice.
2. Call Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House at (202) 225-4965:
My name is <YOUR NAME> and I am calling from <YOUR ZIP CODE>. I urge the Representative to show leadership in bringing the Comfort Women Resolution (HRES 121) to a timely vote in the House of Representatives. During WWII, Japan systematically drafted 300,000 women for military sexual slavery. The Government of Japan still refuses to acknowledge their responsibility appropriately. As Americans, we must put international pressure on the Japanese government to formally apologize and pay reparations to these women. Thank you.
During WW II 300,000 women and girls were systematically raped and tortured by the Japanese military. 80% of the women were from Korea. Only 25% are estimated to have survived. Those who lived were often unable to return home out of shame and have lived a life of severe mental and physical trauma. In recent decades former comfort women have begun to speak out, demanding justice. But despite growing international pressure, Japan has refused to acknowledge its moral and legal responsibility – even omitting facts about wartime atrocities, including sexual slavery, from its school textbooks.
Sponsored by the Bay Area Coalition for Justice for "Comfort Women", NAKASEC, KRC, KRCC, YKASEC-Empowering the Korean American Community, Young Koreans United, and Korean Alliance for Peace and Justice.