Japan's resistance to facing up to history persists

Perceptions of World War II in the Asia Pacific theater, for many, equates to genocides, atrocities and crimes Japanese soldiers committed against civilians of neighboring Asian countries, particularly China and Korea.

The collective memory of Chinese and Koreans related to that particular period of history remains a deep scar running down through generations. I can't believe that there are still a handful of Japanese rightwing extremists who habitually deny history, consistently mount offensives worldwide and ultimately try to foil any effort to spread the truth about WWII and honor its victims.

On Saturday, a local committee seeking to erect a comfort woman's statue in April in Atlanta, Georgia, said the Japanese government had sent diplomats to meet with local heavyweights in order to squelch the plan.

At a press conference, the committee said the statue, to be installed at the Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum, is to symbolize Korean victims of wartime sexual slavery.

Japanese Consul General in Atlanta Takashi Shinozuka was reported to have conducted intensive lobbying in local political and business circles after the committee announced their initiative in early February.

He threatened the economic fallout that would take place, citing the many Japanese companies now operating in Atlanta that would ditch the city if the statue was erected.

Korean-American Kim Baek-Kyu, leader of the 25-member committee, said she would push ahead with the statue installation and categorically rejected Japan's warning, saying there was no link between the statue and economic impact. She called it "fabricated".