IV

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 158

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 31, 2000

Referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas from December 1941 to April 1942, members of the

United States Armed Forces fought valiantly against

overwhelming Japanese military forces on the Bataan peninsula of the Island of Luzon in the Philippines, thereby

preventing Japan from accomplishing strategic objectives

necessary for achieving early military victory in the Pacific during World War II;

Whereas after receiving orders to surrender on April 9, 1942,

many of those valiant combatants were taken prisoner of

war by Japan and forced to march 85 miles from the Bataan peninsula to a prisoner-of-war camp at former

Camp O’Donnell;

Whereas, of the members of the United States Armed Forces

captured by Imperial Japanese forces during the entirety

of World War II, a total of 36,260 of them survived their

capture and transit to Japanese prisoner-of-war camps to

be interned in those camps, and 37.3 percent of those
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SCON 158 RFH

prisoners of war died during their imprisonment in those

camps;

Whereas that march resulted in more than 10,000 deaths by

reason of starvation, disease, and executions;

Whereas many of those prisoners of war were transported to

Japan where they were forced to perform slave labor for

the benefit of private Japanese companies under barbaric

conditions that included torture and inhumane treatment

as to such basic human needs as shelter, feeding, sanitation, and health care;

Whereas the private Japanese companies unjustly profited

from the uncompensated labor cruelly exacted from the

American personnel in violation of basic human rights;

Whereas these Americans do not make any claims against the

Japanese Government or the people of Japan, but, rather, seek some measure of justice from the Japanese companies that profited from their slave labor;

Whereas they have asserted claims for compensation against

the private Japanese companies in various courts in the

United States;

Whereas the United States Government has, to date, opposed

the efforts of these Americans to receive redress for the

slave labor and inhumane treatment, and has not made

any efforts to facilitate discussions among the parties;

Whereas in contrast to the claims of the Americans who were

prisoners of war in Japan, the Department of State has

facilitated a settlement of the claims made against private German businesses by individuals who were forced

into slave labor by the Government of the Third Reich of

Germany for the benefit of the German businesses during

World War II: Now, therefore, be it
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SCON 158 RFH

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that it is

3 in the interest of justice and fairness that the United

4 States, through the Secretary of State or other appro5 priate officials, put forth its best efforts to facilitate dis6 cussions designed to resolve all issues between former

7 members of the Armed Forces of the United States who

8 were prisoners of war forced into slave labor for the ben9 efit of Japanese companies during World War II and the

10 private Japanese companies who profited from their slave

11 labor.

Passed the Senate October 31 (legislative day, September 22), 2000.

Attest:

GARY SISCO,

Secretary.