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68 Years after
the Bataan Death March, Government for the First Time Ever Translated by Asia Policy Point Mainichi Shimbun, Evening edition, July 31, 2010 In April 1942 during World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army forced approximately 70,000 prisoners of war from America and other countries to walk approximately 100 kilometers on the island of Bataan in the Philippines. Many died along the way in what came to be known as the Bataan Death March. The government will invite some former U.S. POWs and their families to come to Japan in mid-September. This will be the first time the government has invited former POWs to come to Japan and a sign of postwar conciliation between Japan and the United States. The government starting in fiscal 1995 and continuing for 10 years carried out a Peace and Friendship Exchange Program [Initiative, PFEI] in connection with those countries Japan had harmed during World War II. The Program included home stays and other exchanges. Former POWs from England, Holland and other countries were invited, but the program never included American POWs. The reasons apparently included the issue of the atomic bombings, as well as the string of damage-compensation lawsuits in the U.S. being filed against Japanese companies in connection with the issue of POWs being forced to labor in those firms in Japan. Although the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor, an organization created by former POWs and others from the Bataan Death March, sought an apology from the Japanese government, it disbanded in May 2009 due to the advanced age of its members. With this in mind, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concluded that the Japanese government should at least take a step forward, and Ambassador to the United States Ichiro Fujisaki attended the last meeting to directly apologize. He also revealed that the Ministry was considering a program of exchanges. The government appropriated in this fiscal year’s budget approximately 18 million yen [$180,000] for the Program to Promote Mutual Understanding between Japan and the United States. It will invite a total of 14 individuals, consisting of six former POWs -- including Lester Tenney (90), the last National Commander of the organization who resides in California -- and their families for an eight-day visit to Japan starting September 12. Except for Mr. Tenney, this will be the first trip to Japan for the other five members. Mr. Tenney and the other former POWs were transferred from the Philippines to Japan, where they used as slave labor by Japanese companies. There has never been an apology, however, from the respective firms. Mr. Tenney explained: “This expression of kindness by the Japanese people will be an important opportunity to open up the hearts of the former POWs, but at the same time, we cannot forget the terrible days that we spent as slave laborers. We want the companies that carried out such to carry out their responsibility." [Translator’s note: Sidebar on the history of the Bataan Death March, the fate of the POWs brought to Japan, etc. not translated.]
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