[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 158 Referred in House (RFH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 158


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 31, 2000

          Referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas from December 1941 to April 1942, members of the United States Armed 
        Forces fought valiantly against overwhelming Japanese military forces on 
        the Bataan peninsula of the Island of Luzon in the Philippines, thereby 
        preventing Japan from accomplishing strategic objectives necessary for 
        achieving early military victory in the Pacific during World War II;
Whereas after receiving orders to surrender on April 9, 1942, many of those 
        valiant combatants were taken prisoner of war by Japan and forced to 
        march 85 miles from the Bataan peninsula to a prisoner-of-war camp at 
        former Camp O'Donnell;
Whereas, of the members of the United States Armed Forces captured by Imperial 
        Japanese forces during the entirety of World War II, a total of 36,260 
        of them survived their capture and transit to Japanese prisoner-of-war 
        camps to be interned in those camps, and 37.3 percent of those prisoners 
        of war died during their imprisonment in those camps;
Whereas that march resulted in more than 10,000 deaths by reason of starvation, 
        disease, and executions;
Whereas many of those prisoners of war were transported to Japan where they were 
        forced to perform slave labor for the benefit of private Japanese 
        companies under barbaric conditions that included torture and inhumane 
        treatment as to such basic human needs as shelter, feeding, sanitation, 
        and health care;
Whereas the private Japanese companies unjustly profited from the uncompensated 
        labor cruelly exacted from the American personnel in violation of basic 
        human rights;
Whereas these Americans do not make any claims against the Japanese Government 
        or the people of Japan, but, rather, seek some measure of justice from 
        the Japanese companies that profited from their slave labor;
Whereas they have asserted claims for compensation against the private Japanese 
        companies in various courts in the United States;
Whereas the United States Government has, to date, opposed the efforts of these 
        Americans to receive redress for the slave labor and inhumane treatment, 
        and has not made any efforts to facilitate discussions among the 
        parties;
Whereas in contrast to the claims of the Americans who were prisoners of war in 
        Japan, the Department of State has facilitated a settlement of the 
        claims made against private German businesses by individuals who were 
        forced into slave labor by the Government of the Third Reich of Germany 
        for the benefit of the German businesses during World War II: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that it is in the interest of justice 
and fairness that the United States, through the Secretary of State or 
other appropriate officials, put forth its best efforts to facilitate 
discussions designed to resolve all issues between former members of 
the Armed Forces of the United States who were prisoners of war forced 
into slave labor for the benefit of Japanese companies during World War 
II and the private Japanese companies who profited from their slave 
labor.

            Passed the Senate October 31 (legislative day, September 
      22), 2000.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.