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Urging the Government of Japan to formally acknowledge and issue an apology for the war crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II and to pay reparations to the victims of those crimes; requesting that the President of the United States and the United States Congress take all appropriate action to further bring about a formal apology and reparations by the Japanese Government; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, 33,587 men and women in the United States military and 13,966 United States civilians were captured by the forces of the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater during World War II, confined in brutal prison camps, and subjected to severe shortages of food, medicine, and other basic necessities; and

WHEREAS, many of the United States military and civilian prisoners of the Imperial Japanese Government during World War II were forced to work in coal, copper, lead, and zinc mines; steel plants; shipbuilding yards; and other private Imperial Japanese industries; and

WHEREAS, many of the United States military and civilian prisoners of the Imperial Japanese Government were starved and beaten to death or executed by beheading, firing squads, or immolation, while working for Japanese business entities that have become some of the largest multinational companies in the world today; and

WHEREAS, approximately 1,100 people from the State of Georgia suffered in prison camps or were forced to work in Japanese industries during World War II; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Republic of Germany has formally apologized to the victims of the Holocaust and provided financial compensation to its victims; and

WHEREAS, the United States Government, in 1988, acknowledged the unfairness of its policy of detaining and interring Japanese-Americans during World War II; and
WHEREAS, while Japanese Government officials have expressed personal apologies and supported the payment of privately funded reparations to some victims, the Japanese Government has refused to fully acknowledge the crimes Imperial Japan committed during World War II and to provide reparations to its victims; and

WHEREAS, similar resolutions have been introduced or adopted by other states and introduced in the United States House of Representatives.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that this body urges the Government of Japan to formally acknowledge and issue an apology for the war crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese military during World War II and to pay reparations to the victims of those crimes.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body requests that the President of the United States and the United States Congress take all appropriate action to further bring about a formal apology and reparations by the Japanese Government.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit appropriate copies of this resolution to the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of the Georgia Congressional Delegation.