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Acting Foreign Secretary Franklin Ebdalin on Monday
criticized Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s comment that there
was no evidence Tokyo’s troops coerced Asian women, including from
the Philippines, as World War II sex slaves.
“On this important and
sensitive issue, the Philippines reiterates the importance of
adhering to the language and tone” of the apology issued by
previous Japanese leaders and other officials, Ebdalin said in a
statement. (See related story on Page B3)
He cited a 2002 letter by Abe’s
predecessor, Junichiro Koizumi, to Filipina “comfort women,” and
a 1993 statement by Yohei Kono, then Tokyo’s top government
spokesman, who had voiced “sincere apologies and remorse” and
acknowledged that Japan’s imperial army was involved “directly
or indirectly” in sexual slavery.
The Koizumi letter said: “The
issue of comfort women, with an involvement of Japanese military
authorities at that time, was a grave affront to the honor and
dignity of large numbers of women.”
Koizumi’s letter extended “my
most sincere apologies and remorse to all the women who underwent
immeasurable and painful experiences and suffered incurable physical
and psychological wounds as comfort women. We must not evade the
weights of the past, nor should we evade our responsibilities for
the future.”
Abe angered other Asian nations
last week when he questioned historians’ assertions that Tokyo
forced at least 200,000 “comfort women” to serve in Japanese
army brothels in Korea, China, Taiwan, Indonesia and the
Philippines.
Abe refused to back down Monday,
repeating that there was no evidence of coercion.
“There was no coercion such as
kidnappings by the Japanese authorities. There is no reliable
testimony that proves kidnapping,” Abe said in parliament.
He said that economic conditions
and sex brokers might have pressured the women to work in brothels,
but criticized a US bill demanding an apology by Japan and outright
recognition of its involvement.
“The US bill is not based on
objective facts, nor based on the premise that Japan [has already]
apologized,” Abe told a parliamentary committee.
--AFP
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