(Yonhap Interview) Japan has yet to apologize for past crimes: U.S. lawmaker

By Tony Chang
SEOUL, Aug. 13 (Yonhap) -- Tokyo has yet to make a "formal and unequivocal"
government apology for its sexual enslavement and other past crimes during World
War II, according to a U.S. congressman of Japanese heritage, who underscored the
importance of historical education to ensure future generations do not make the
same mistakes.

"I think what has been asked for (in the past) was a formal, unequivocal
government apology; to recognize historical responsibility and then also to talk
about compensation to victims," U.S. Rep. Mike Honda (D-California) said in a
recent interview with Yonhap News Agency.
"I don't believe that has happened," Honda said, regarding whether Tokyo has
fulfilled the much sought demand by many victims in countries that were under
Japan's colonial regime before its fall during World War II.
Honda, the current chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, is
visiting South Korea to receive an honorary doctorate from Kangwon National
University in Chuncheon, 85km east of Seoul.
The 68-year old congressman of Japanese heritage was responsible for submitting a
House resolution urging Japan to apologize for the sexual enslavement of women
from Korea and other nations to serve soldiers during its colonial occupation of
Korea. The House unanimously passed the resolution in August 2007.
In late 2007, the European Parliament, representing some 490 million people in
the 27 member European Union, also overwhelmingly approved a non-binding
resolution on the sex slaves for imperial Japan from the 1930s until 1945.
Estimates vary, but historian says more than 200,000 women, mostly Koreans, were
sexually enslaved by Japan. Japan colonized Korea from 1910 to 1945.
Japanese officials have expressed "regrets" to the victims, but often denied the
Japanese government's involvement, inviting outrage from South and North Korea
and other Asian countries, victims of Japan's past militarism.
"I know that individuals have apologized or recognized that there were some
unfortunate things that have happened."
Honda, however, underscored that many such remarks were made "without addressing
the true depth" of what happened to the victims.
The lawmaker explained that, for such reasons, Japanese Americans have filed a
complaint to their homeland, demanding for an unequivocal apology and "historical
responsibility" for what happened.
Honda also said that monetary compensation cannot cover "what is lost or
violated," but noted that it could create a gesture of reparations.
As a former teacher and a high school principle, Honda said he discovered that
the Japanese education system in general tended not to deal with teaching Japan's
history of the military regime in Asia.
"To me that was, as a teacher, not right," Honda said, arguing that some
educational groups in Japan even tried to whitewash or eliminate the whole
subject matter as it never have occurred.
"As a politician I try to teach as much as possible, so that we don't make the
same mistakes."
Honda said too many women around the world still end up being abused, becoming
victims of conflicts.
"It happened then and it (still) happens today, but it should not happen tomorrow."
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