Welcoming and Commending the Goverment of Japan

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. President, I rise today in support of this resolution honoring former World War II U.S. POWs from the Pacific theater and acknowledging the steps the Japanese Government has made to heal the wounds of the past.

My friend and colleague from California, Representative Mike Honda, introduced this resolution in the House and I am proud to follow suit here in the Senate. I applaud his leadership on this important matter.

Our resolution welcomes and commends the Government of Japan for extending an official apology to all U.S. former prisoners of war from the Pacific War and establishing in 2010 a visitation program to Japan for surviving veterans, their families, and descendants.

The resolution appreciates the recent efforts by the Government of Japan toward historic apologies for the war crimes of Imperial Japan.

The resolution requests that the Government of Japan continue its new Japanese/American POW Friendship Program of reconciliation and remembrance.

It 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.

It acknowledges the work of the Department of State in advocating for the United States Prisoners of War from the Pacific war, and it applauds the persistence, dedication, and patriotism of the members and descendants of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor.

According to the Congressional Research Service, approximately 27,000 U.S. prisoners of war were held by Imperial Japanese forces during World War II.

They were often subject to brutal and inhumane treatment.

They were starved and denied adequate medical care and were forced to perform slave labor for private Japanese companies.

American POWs toiled in mines, factories, shipyards, and steel mills for hours every day under extremely dangerous conditions. Many suffered health problems long after their time as POWs had ended.

Some 40 percent of POWs perished and never returned home to their loved ones.

We owe these brave heroes a debt that can never be fully repaid. It is critical that we never forget their sacrifice.

A lot has changed since the end of the war.

Japan has emerged from the ashes of war to develop into one of our closest friends and allies and a responsible member of the international community.

Our relationship is sustained by shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

The American POWs--those that survived--returned home and tried to move on with their lives.

They completed their education, got married, started families, began new careers and participated in all aspects of civic life.

But one thing was missing: recognition from the Japanese Government about how they were treated as POWs.

In the simplest terms, they wanted an apology.

In order for Japan to fully rejoin the international community, it had to acknowledge its treatment of POWs during the ware.

And groups like the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor and its Descendants Group worked tirelessly for this recognition.

And I am pleased to say that Japan has taken historic actions in this area.

On May 30, 2009, Japan's Ambassador to the United States, Ichiro Fujisaki, told the last convention of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor:

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.

On September 13, 2010, in a message to all U.S. former POWs, Japan's Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said:

You have all been through hardships during World War II, begin 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.

The Government of Japan has also created a new program for former U.S. POWs and their family members to come to Japan for remembrance and reconciliation.

I commend the Government of Japan for taking these actions. Our former POWs waited long enough.

There are fewer than 500 surviving POWs still alive today.

Let us take a moment today, while we still can, to honor them and pay tribute to their service to their country during difficult and trying times.

Let us also acknowledge the steps Japan has taken to come to terms with its past and strengthen the friendship between our two peoples.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source