The resolution submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives calling on Japan to apologize for forcing women into sexual slavery in the 1930s and 1940s is based on misconceptions, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Wednesday.
He also repeated his position that there is no proof that Japanese military officials took the women -- from Japanese-occupied parts of Asia -- by force to frontline brothels.
The resolution submitted Jan. 31 by Democratic Rep. Mike Honda of California and a bipartisan group of lawmakers says Japan's prime minister must "clearly and publicly refute any claims that the sexual enslavement and trafficking of the comfort women for the Japanese Imperial Armed Forces never occurred." "Comfort women" was Japan's euphemism for the sex slaves.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.