Whereas the United States and Japan have enjoyed a
productive and successful peace for over six decades, which has nurtured a
strong and critical alliance and deep economic ties that are vitally important
to both countries, the Asia-Pacific region, and the world;
Whereas the United States-Japan alliance is based on
shared interests, responsibilities, and values and the common support for
political and economic freedoms, human rights, and international law;
Whereas the United States-Japan alliance has been
maintained by the contributions and sacrifices of members of the United States
Armed Forces dedicated to Japan's defense and democracy;
Whereas, from December 7, 1941, to August 15, 1945, the
Pacific War caused profound damage and suffering to combatants and
noncombatants alike;
Whereas, among those who suffered and sacrificed greatly
were the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who were captured by
Imperial Japanese forces during the Pacific War;
Whereas many United States prisoners of war were subject
to brutal and inhumane conditions and forced labor;
Whereas, according to the Congressional Research Service,
an estimated 27,000 United States prisoners of war were held by Imperial
Japanese forces and nearly 40 percent perished;
Whereas the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor
and its subsequent Descendants Group have worked tirelessly to represent the
thousands of United States veterans who were held by Imperial Japanese forces
as prisoners of war during the Pacific War;
Whereas, on May 30, 2009, an official apology from the
Government of Japan was delivered by Japan's Ambassador to the United States
Ichiro Fujisaki to the last convention of the American Defenders of Bataan and
Corregidor stating, Today, I would like to convey to you the position of
the government of Japan on this issue. As former Prime Ministers of Japan have
repeatedly stated, the Japanese people should bear in mind that we must look
into the past and to learn from the lessons of history. We extend a heartfelt
apology for our country having caused tremendous damage and suffering to many
people, including prisoners of wars, those who have undergone tragic
experiences in the Bataan Peninsula, Corregidor Island, in the Philippines, and
other places.
;
Whereas, in 2010, the Government of Japan through its
Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a new program of remembrance and
understanding that, for the first time, includes United States former prisoners
of war and their family members or other caregivers by inviting them to Japan
for exchange and friendship;
Whereas six United States former prisoners of war, each of
whom was accompanied by a family member, and two descendants of prisoners of
war participated in Japan’s first Japanese/American POW Friendship Program from
September 12, 2010, to September 19, 2010;
Whereas Japan’s Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada on
September 13, 2010, apologized to all United States former prisoners of war on
behalf of the Government of Japan stating, “You have all been through hardships
during World War II, being taken prisoner by the Japanese military, and
suffered extremely inhumane treatment. On behalf of the Japanese government and
as the foreign minister, I would like to offer you my heartfelt
apology.”;
Whereas Foreign Minister Okada stated that he expects the
former prisoners of war exchanges with the people of Japan will “become a
turning point in burying their bitter feelings about the past and establishing
a better relationship between Japan and the United States”;
Whereas Japan's Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Tetsuro
Fukuyama on September 13, 2010, apologized to United States former prisoners of
war for the “immeasurable damage and suffering” they experienced;
Whereas the participants of the first Japanese/American
POW Friendship Program appreciated the generosity and hospitality they received
from the Government and people of Japan during the Program and welcomed the
apology offered by Foreign Minister Okada and Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary
Fukuyama;
Whereas the participants encourage the Government of Japan
to continue this program of visitation and friendship and expand it to support
projects for remembrance, documentation, and education; and
Whereas the United States former prisoners of war of Japan
still await apologies and remembrance from the successor firms of those private
entities in Japan that, in violation of the Third Geneva Convention and in
unmerciful conditions, used their labor for economic gain to sustain war
production: Now, therefore, be it
That the Senate—
(1)welcomes and commends the Government of
Japan for extending an official apology to all United States former prisoners
of war from the Pacific War and establishing in 2010 a visitation program to
Japan for surviving veterans, their families, and descendants;
(2)appreciates the
recent efforts by the Government of Japan toward historic apologies for the
maltreatment of United States former prisoners of war;
(3)requests that the
Government of Japan continue its new Japanese/American POW Friendship Program
of reconciliation and remembrance and expand it to educate the public and its
school children about the history of prisoners of war in Imperial Japan;
(4)requests that the
Government of Japan respect the wishes and sensibilities of the United States
former prisoners of war by supporting and encouraging programs for lasting
remembrance and reconciliation that recognize their sacrifices, history, and
forced labor;
(5)acknowledges the
work of the Department of State in advocating for the United States prisoners
of war from the Pacific War; and
(6)applauds the
persistence, dedication, and patriotism of the members and descendants of the
American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor for their pursuit of justice and
lasting peace.