June 28, 2007	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 12, 1428

TOKYO: Japan on Wednesday brushed aside growing pressure from US lawmakers for a fresh apology for Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of an estimated 200,000 women. “Our government stance has been clarified on many occasions, including (during) our prime minister's visit to the United States in April,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki told a news conference. “I don't think we want to add more than that.” By an overwhelming 39 votes to two, the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for an “unambiguous” apology from Japan for the mass coercion of “comfort women” into army brothels.

The vote was met with warm applause in a committee room packed with people, including surviving Korean comfort women. The resolution now goes to a vote in the full House, which could come as early as mid-July. Abe sparked controversy in March by saying there was no evidence the imperial army directly coerced thousands of women into brothels across Asia during World War II.

He has since stressed he stands by Japan's landmark 1993 apology to the women and expressed his sympathy for the women during his US visit in April.

“I already stated my view when I recently visited the United States,” Abe told reporters Tuesday ahead of the US vote.

As Japan on Wednesday brushed aside growing pressure from US lawmakers for a fresh apology for Tokyo's wartime sexual enslavement of an estimated 200,000 women.—AFP