Asian editorial excerpts+

TOKYO, Nov. 12 (Kyodo) - Selected editorial excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

PRESSURE ON JAPAN (The Korea Herald, Seoul)

The Netherlands' Lower House unanimously passed a resolution last Thursday urging Japan to apologize for its wartime military sexual slavery and to pay compensation to the victims. This week, the Netherlands' Lower House will question Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende and other ministers about the Dutch government's approach toward Japan over the issue.

Three former military sex slaves are currently on a speaking tour through Europe to raise awareness of the issue there. While most of the estimated 200,000 women who were drafted into sexual slavery by the Japanese military are from Asia, Dutch nationals who lived in Indonesia under Japanese rule were taken away as well. Ellen van der Ploeg, 84, one of the three women touring Europe, was among them.

The courage of the women -- Gil Won-ok from Korea and Menen Castillo from the Philippines, in addition to van der Ploeg -- must be applauded.

Earlier this week, the survivors testified about their experiences at the European Parliament. Raul Romeva, who presided over the hearing, said that the European Parliament is nearing an agreement to include a resolution on Japan's sex slavery on the agenda for the next plenary session, scheduled to be held in France next week.

The resolution, when passed, would be added pressure on the Japanese government to apologize and offer compensation to the former military sex slaves. The U.S. House of Representatives adopted a similar resolution in July.

In March this year, the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stirred up controversy when he said there was no evidence that women were forced into military sex slavery during World War II. It has recently been revealed that Abe was forced to retreat from that position when the United States expressed concerns that Abe's remark may damage U.S.-Japan relations.

Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is urged to take action soon to address this episode in Japan's history. If the Japanese government is hoping that the problem would simply go away as many of the aging survivors pass away, it is badly mistaken.

History cannot be obliterated. Japan should apologize to the victims of military sexual slavery and offer just compensation. To do otherwise risks inviting even more international condemnation. (Nov. 12)