Dear G:
On behalf of Gordon O’Connor, thank you for your correspondence regarding Motion 291 put forward in the House of Commons by Olivia Chow MP for Trinity-Spadina) on March 15, 2007.
This motion urges the Prime Minister and the Parliament of Japan to: (a) pass a resolution in the Diet to formally apologize to the women who were coerced into military sexual slavery during the Second World War and were euphemized as "comfort women" by the Japanese Imperial Army; and (b) provide just and honourable compensation to these victims.
This motion has been referred to Human Rights Committee to be studied and as such Members of the House of Commons have not been called to vote on the motion as yet.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Peter MacKay spoke on behalf of our Government in the House of Commons on the on this subject. For your reference, I have provided his statement below
Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, Canada has enormous sympathy for comfort women who endured great suffering during World War II. The abuse of the comfort women is a deplorable story and these wrongs and their enormously painful era should not be forgotten but should be addressed in a compassionate and progressive way.
They deserve our respect and our dignity. I relayed those sentiments when I spoke to the Japanese foreign minister this week. I sought clarification on the issues of the apology to these women and the regrettable comments of the prime minister of Japan. He confirmed that the government would stand by the 1993 apology made by chief cabinet secretary, Kono, and previous prime ministers that Japan acknowledges the involvement of military authorities of the day, extends its sincere apologies and remorse to all of those comfort women.
* * *
Once again thank you for writing. I appreciate the opportunity to share this information with you.
Kind Regards,
John Aris
Constituency Manager for
Hon. Gordon O'Connor, P.C., M.P.
Minister of National Defence
Carleton-Mississippi Mills
Tel: 613-592-3469
Fax: 613-592-4756
www.gordonoconnor.ca
On behalf of Gordon O’Connor, thank you for your correspondence regarding Motion 291 put forward in the House of Commons by Olivia Chow MP for Trinity-Spadina) on March 15, 2007.
This motion urges the Prime Minister and the Parliament of Japan to: (a) pass a resolution in the Diet to formally apologize to the women who were coerced into military sexual slavery during the Second World War and were euphemized as "comfort women" by the Japanese Imperial Army; and (b) provide just and honourable compensation to these victims.
This motion has been referred to Human Rights Committee to be studied and as such Members of the House of Commons have not been called to vote on the motion as yet.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Peter MacKay spoke on behalf of our Government in the House of Commons on the on this subject. For your reference, I have provided his statement below
Hon. Peter MacKay (Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, CPC):
Mr. Speaker, Canada has enormous sympathy for comfort women who endured great suffering during World War II. The abuse of the comfort women is a deplorable story and these wrongs and their enormously painful era should not be forgotten but should be addressed in a compassionate and progressive way.
They deserve our respect and our dignity. I relayed those sentiments when I spoke to the Japanese foreign minister this week. I sought clarification on the issues of the apology to these women and the regrettable comments of the prime minister of Japan. He confirmed that the government would stand by the 1993 apology made by chief cabinet secretary, Kono, and previous prime ministers that Japan acknowledges the involvement of military authorities of the day, extends its sincere apologies and remorse to all of those comfort women.
* * *
Once again thank you for writing. I appreciate the opportunity to share this information with you.
Kind Regards,
John Aris
Constituency Manager for
Hon. Gordon O'Connor, P.C., M.P.
Minister of National Defence
Carleton-Mississippi Mills
Tel: 613-592-3469
Fax: 613-592-4756
www.gordonoconnor.ca
