Honda "Comfort Women" Resolution Supporters Gather March 22 in DC

National Coalition United to Support H. Res. 121 Sponsors Lobby Day

(WASHINGTON) --- Yul Kwon, winner of the TV reality show "Survivor: Cook Islands," will join the 121 Coalition's Grassroots Lobby Day on Capitol Hill on March 22 to push Congress to support H. Res.121.  

The resolution, introduced by Congressman Mike Honda (D-California), calls upon the Japanese government to take full responsibility and officially apologize for enslaving thousands of girls and women at military "comfort stations" and raping and torturing them during its colonial and wartime occupation of Asia and the Pacific Islands.  

The 121 Coalition -- a national coalition endorsed by nearly 100 civic and human rights groups -- will walk from office to office, meeting with Members of the House of Representatives and their staff to raise awareness of and support for the resolution.  

A press conference sponsored by the 121 Coalition will feature Yul Kwon, a graduate of Yale Law School, who once worked for Senator Joseph Lieberman as his legislative aide, and Becky Lee, the runner-up of "Survivor: Cook Islands," a human rights lawyer in Washington who has advocated on behalf of "comfort women" as a member of Justice for Comfort Women.  At the press conference, Kwon and Lee will be joined by Jackie Bong-Wright, John Feffer, and Dr. Ok Cha Soh.

Press Conference Details

When: Thursday, March 22, 2007, 9:00 a.m.
Where: Langston Room at Busboys and Poets Bookstore/Cafe
2021 14th Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009

Speakers:

Yul Kwon, winner of "Survivor: Cook Islands" and Asian American leader
Becky Lee, a human rights lawyer and runner-up of "Survivor: Cook Islands"
Jackie Bong-Wright, anti-human trafficking activist and author
John Feffer, co-director of Foreign Policy in Focus and the director of global affairs at the International Relations Center.
Dr. Ok Cha Soh, President of Washington Coalition of Comfort Women Issue

Program:

Reading of a testimony by Becky Lee
Premiere of a new YouTube video by Eric Byler featuring Yul Kwon discussing H. Res. 121 and introducing testimonies of "comfort women"
Reading of the 121 Coalition Statement

For the video and the coalition statement, go to:  www.support121.org .

Other Readings

• Statement at the Hearing on Protecting the Human Rights of “Comfort Women”
  By Michael M. Honda, Member of Congress
  Congressman's address at hearing for the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives

• Japanese Prime Minister Vows No New Apology on WWII Sex Slaves
  By Michael M. Honda, Member of Congress
  Congressman's address at hearing for the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment, Committee on Foreign Affairs, U.S. House of Representatives

• Secret Asian Man: Why Japan Needs Women's History Month
  By Tak Toyoshima, Village Artist-in-Residence
  Our cartoon satirist gets a little serious for this WHM look at Japan's propaganda about "voluntary comfort women" of WWII

• Asian American Village Blog
  Additional postings on the topic at our blog; links to Yul Kwon, Mike Honda, Japan parliamentary debate videos