"The war never ended for the 'Comfort Women.' We still have the nightmares," said 85-year-old Jan Ruff-O'Herne, invoking the most painful memories in her entire life.

O'Herne was one of the three women sexually enslaved by the Japanese military during World War II and testified Thursday on the Capitol before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment, a subsidiary of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

"JAPAN MUST COME TO TERMS WITH ITS HISTORY"

It was the first time such victims have testified in House hearings.

The hearing followed a resolution introduced last week by Congressman Michael Honda.

It urges the Japanese government to apologize and accept full responsibility for the abuse of some 200,000 so-called "comfort women" during World War II.

O'Herne, who now lives in Australia, was captured with her family by the invading Japanese army in Java, Indonesia, during the Pacific War.

The then 19-year-old girl was forced into sexual slavery and had been repeatedly raped and beaten by Japanese soldiers "day and night."

"I have forgiven the Japanese for what they did to me, but I can never forget. For fifty years, the 'comfort women' maintained silence; they lived with a terrible shame, of feeling soiled and dirty. It has taken 50 years for these women's ruined lives to become a human rights issue," O'Herne said.

"Japan must come to terms with its history, and acknowledge their war time atrocities. They must teach the correct history of the mistakes made in the past," she said.

"HUMAN FACE OF WARTIME VIOLENCE"

Testifying along with O'Herne are Lee Yong-soo and Kim Gun-ja, both former "comfort women" who now live in South Korea.

"The Japanese government is lying," said Lee, adding that she never received a single word of apology from the Japanese government.

"I won't leave the Japanese government alone until they get down on their knees in front of me and give me a sincere apology," said the 79-year-old woman.

South Korean media reported that every Wednesday Lee travels three hours from her home to protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul for the restoration of dignity and human rights of "comfort women."

"We sincerely recognize the U.S. Congress for caring about the cause we have waged and the unbearable pain we have all carried," said Kim, who was forced into sexual enslavement when she was only 16.

"My wish is that the resolution passes as soon as possible. It will send a strong message to the Japanese government to acknowledge its crimes and make official redress, including an apology and reparations," she said.

Calling the three victims "the human face of the wartime violence against women," Honda, a sponsor of the resolution, urged the Committee on Foreign Affairs to act swiftly on the resolution so that it could soon come to the House floor for a vote.

"The strength and humanity of these women and the truths to which they testify today must supersede any political pressures to stop this resolution," he said.

STRONG SUPPORT FOR RESOLUTION

The hearing is a crucial step to push forward the resolution and Honda said last week that he is confident that the resolution will be endorsed by the House by the end of next month with strong bipartisan support.

The resolution urged Japan to "formally and unambiguously apologize for and acknowledge the tragedy that 'comfort women' endured at the hands of its Imperial Army during World War Two."

Described by Honda as "a matter of fundamental justice", it calls for Japan's prime minister to "formally acknowledge, apologize and accept historical responsibility in a clear and unequivocal manner" for the suffering of those "comfort women."

The resolution also urged Japan to refute those who say the sexual slavery never happened and to educate children about the issue.

Last September, the U.S. House International Relations Committee adopted a similar resolution calling on the Japanese government to formally acknowledge and accept responsibility for the issue of "comfort women."

However, the Republicans who then controlled the House never brought it before the whole House for action.

The Japanese government has admitted the existence of such women but has denied involvement in drafting the resolution.

Source: Xinhua