JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER ABE’S SPEECH DISAPPOINTS AGAIN
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 29, 2015
[Washington DC] As one of the community organizations leading the nationwide campaign for
House Resolution 121 “Comfort Women Resolution” of 2007, the Korean American Civic
Empowerment regrets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s speech to the joint session of
Congress.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. Mr. Abe delivered his speech at
the House floor where President Roosevelt addressed the Day of Infamy Speech the day after the
Pearl Harbor attack in 1941 and the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H. Res.
121 in 2007.
Had he acknowledged and accepted the historical responsibility for the Comfort Women issue as
recommended by the U.S. House of Representatives in H. Res. 121, Mr. Abe's speech today could
have improved the trilateral cooperation between the United States, Japan, and Korea and served
as a historical foundation for peace and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the broader
global community, as urged by members of Congress time and again. Instead, he repeated
another round of word games, full of vague and ambiguous words to avoid Japanese
government's historical responsibility.
Mr. Abe should squarely face the history and honestly address Imperial Japan's wartime
atrocities. Mr. Abe and his administration should accept the requests of H. Res. 121 of 2007,
urged by its closest ally, the United States of America.
We duly warn Prime Minister Abe that without sincere acknowledgement and apology for its war
crimes, Japan cannot become one of the world’s leaders. If Japan truly wishes to commit itself
into improving women’s rights in the future, Japan’s first step should be acknowledging its own
wrongdoings in the past.
Women’s Rights are not for sale.
#####
Korean American Civic Empowerment for Community, Inc.
35-20 147th Street, Suite 2D, Flushing, NY 11354
Tel. 718-961-4117 Fax. 718-961-4603 Email: [email protected]