Rep. Chu Disappointed by Prime Minister Abe’s Speech to Congress

Washington, D.C. – Today, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe became the first Japanese Prime Minister to address a joint meeting of Congress. Prior to his address, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) urged Prime Minister Abe to acknowledge Japan’s role in forcing women known as “comfort women” into sex slavery during World War II. Rep. Chu, who attended the speech, released the following statement:

“While I am grateful that the Prime Minister acknowledged the suffering of Asians at the hands of Japanese soldiers during World War II, I am incredibly disappointed that he failed to directly address the problem of comfort women. Despite numerous pleas from Members of Congress and many others around the world – including countries whose citizens were the victims of Japan’s war time program – I sat and listened to him once again ignore Japan’s responsibility for this particularly troubling and painful chapter. As the Prime Minister said, it is a tragic reality that women are the ones who usually suffer the most in war. But healing these wounds requires honesty and an admission of responsibility. Shirking that responsibility and attributing it instead to the cost of war amounts to a pardon of those who made decisions to dehumanize these women and is license to future generations to use war as an excuse. The Prime Minister said that Japan’s eyes are always on the road ahead, and I appreciate that he has acknowledged the pain of these victims, but without responsibility and remorse, it is impossible to move forward.”