TNAG-2776-FCO40-3993-Hong-Kong-questions-for-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-on-c-1993 — Page 39

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 29120OZ FCO

TELNO 1686

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OF 291039Z OCTOBER 93

INFO PRIORITY TOKYO

For Bunten HKD

UNCLASSIFIED

19

014076 MDHIAN 1088

LegCo Question on Comfort Women

3

1. Many thanks for your advice of 28 October. We are continuing research and consultations here and would be grateful for further findings your end. Our current thinking is that we should be as forthcoming as possible without raising expectations too high. With that in mind we propose replying on the lines below. This incorporates your advice. We are including the questions as Tokyo has not seen them

Question: Will the Government inform this Council whether it is

aware that the Japanese Military forcibly recruited some Hong Kong women as prostitutes during its occupation of Hong Kong from 1941 to 1945; if so,

(a)

(b)

(c)

whether any investigation was carried out, or any representations made to the Japanese Government, after World War II regarding this form of torture;

how many Hong Kong women were so brutalised, what attempts were made to assist them in starting a new life, and how many are still alive; and

whether it will consider opening a dialogue with the Japanese Government to seek some form of compensation for these brutalised women and their families?

Reply

Mr President,

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LO NOV 1993

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STRY on Taker.

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