6/29/98

On the eve of the departure of the OCA delegation from Pittsburgh to the
national conference of OCA in DC in July, I am updating the status of HCR 126
for the benefit of the delegation and to inform those whom I have recently
copied on my e-mail list.  Wayne, please send this mail to those who do not
use e-mail, including KL Wang.

The status of HCR 126 in late May was reviewed as follows:
__________________
OVERVIEW on House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 126   (May 27, 1998, by Jesse
Hwa)

HR 176, an earlier but narrower version of HCR 126, was introduced in the
104th  session of the Congress by Robert Dornan.  It was not passed.  In the
current 105th  session, the scope was increased somewhat to include other
atrocities as rape of Nanking, and it was first introduced as HR 160 in April
1998, and later as the somewhat simplified version, HCR 126, by William
Lipinski.  HCR 126, which expresses the concurrent sense of the House and
Senate, calls   for the government of Japan to make formal apologies and
reparations for the atrocities committed by their troops during WWII in Asia.

HR 160, and later as HCR 126, received particular support among the Chinese
communities throughout the U.S.  To date, 67 members of the U.S. House have
signed as cosponsors of HCR 126.  Some signed as the  direct effort of many,
particularly the Chinese Americans nationwide, who urged their district
Representatives to be cosponsors.

In the summer and fall of 1997, AOHWA conducted a signature  campaign and
collected 2661 signatures from seven Eastern states in support of HR 160.  The
signatures were sent to 34 members of the House urging their support for 160.

HCR 126 was referred by the House Rules Committee to the two subcommittees of
the International Relations Committee for review.  These are: the Subcommittee
on Asia and Pacific, chaired by Doug Bereuter, and the Subcommittee on
International Operations and Human Rights, chaired by Chris Smith.  The
former has the first jurisdiction  to review the bill.

In March 1998, representatives of AOHWA, CFIR, APC and WCCW visited Washington
to determine the status of the bill.  It was learned that 126  was stalled in
Bereuter's committee because the State Dept. objected  to the reparation
clause in 126 for their desire of not wanting to "rock the boat" of the
present  good relations with Japan.  Bereuter  obliged and also did not wish
to hold a hearing.  Lipinski himself did not have any specific plan to further
promote 126.

Shortly afterwards it was learned that a  hearing on 126 by Smith's
subcommittee might be possible.  A congressional hearing on 126 was regarded
as highly desirable as it  would attract media attention and publicize our
case.  A second visit to Washington by the same representatives, this time
including Iris Chang who was in DC at the time, was made in early May to
determine whether and how a hearing could indeed be held.  Aides of
Congressmen Rohrabacher and Smith, both being cosponsors, adviced that Smith
would not separately hold a hearing because it  would undermind Bereuter's
mandate.  To  get 126 past Bereuter's  committee, we were was adviced that we
should bring our case to about 10 influential members of the House, and to
Ass. Sec. of State for East Asia, Stanley Roth.

After the second visit, it was deemed that, in the remaining 20 odd in-session
days before the present session ends in October this year, 126  will not
likely be passed.  Much discussion among the present informal group,
consisting of individuals and representatives of various  groups  interested
in promoting 126, ensued via e-mail on the following approaches:

1. Continue to get more cosponsors, particulrly those uncommitted on
Bereuter's subcommittee.
2. Determine who and how to approach the named influential House members and
Ass. Sec. Stanley Roth.
3. Enlist Senator Torricelli of NJ, or others, to introduce a companion bill
in the Senate.
4. Possibly form a caucus in North NJ or DC to lead in the continuing lobbying
effort.
5. Enlist the support of additional  groups to promote 126, including American
Legion, Jewish group, Human Rights group.  (Some leads have since been
obtained and are being followed up.)
6. Possibly retain a lobbyist firm to do the lobbying.
7. Develop a strategy  on how to get 126, or its  equivalent in two separate
bills, passed in the next session of the Congress (106th).

There have been some other parallel activities, including the Princeton
conference, promotion of Iris Chang's book, congressional briefings, exhibits
of unit 731 and of comfort women issues, conference in San Diego.  These do
not bear directly, though indirectly, on 126, and are not reported here.
__________________________________________

New discussion on June 29, 1998

The status of the 7 action points in my 5/27 overview is as follows. In
general, little progress was made except with Congressman Bilbray.

1. Status -- a. No new cosponsors are known to be added to the list of 67.

b. There is no organized effort to approach the 10 influential members (I have
the names) possibly because of the effort required.  While it is easy to say
that we need to do these things, it is much harder to carry them out.  It is
hoped that the caucus in DC  might take the lead.  Understandably it is a big
effort which the group is not able to undertake.  Another person, "Angel",
suggested an additional list of prominent Asian American leaders in the
natinal scene as possible allies.  They do not directly bear on Bereuter, but
may be of some value indirectly.  Again, it is a problem of who will do the
work.

c. Torricelli is willing only to be a cosponsor, but not willing to initiate
the companion bill in the senate.  Other leads on senators are being pursued.

d. A caucus in NJ or DC takes time to ramp up to be effective.

e. Am. Legion and Rabbi Cooper are being followed up.  No major news.

f. AOHWA can not engage in substantial lobbying effort, primarily because of
the limitation of such effort for a tax-exempt organization. AOHWA's past and
future activities are concerned with educating individuals and the public to
preserve the true history of WWII in Asia, and to counter the distorted views
from Japan.  Other organizations may be able to conduct direct lobbying.

g. For strategy, see discussion below.

2. Rep. Brian Bilbray -- During the past month, and through the effort of
Kingsley Wang et al, Bilbray of CA was found to be an enthusiastic supporter
of our cause and HCR 126.  To our knowledge, he is the only one so publicly
declared.  Currently, we are asking him to help arrange a meeting with
Bereuter to determine for sure where Bereuter stands on HCR 126.  After the
meeting, we can then determine and decide the best strategy to pursue.  This
is the only direct move on the table at present to further 126.

3. Perspective -- I think it is appropriate to put HCR 126 in a brief
perceptive of what is happening.  To right the history of WWII in which the
Chinese people suffered their holocaust is an overriding priority that unites
Chinese Americans in the U.S. and Canada more than any other single issue.
The Chinese community has formed an informal coalition with other advocacy
groups to further public education and passage of HCR 126.

Our goal is to have Japan formerly admit to the atrocities done in WWII and to
make reparations.  But Japan is far away from doing it, as evidenced by the
attack on Iris Chang, promotion of the rightist movie on Tojo, and typical
rightist  comments by Nakamura.  In the absence of having China to deal with
Japan, which is not in the cards, the only realistic way is to make a powerful
statement by the U.S. congress in the form of 126.  It has no teeth whatsoever
because a resolution by the U.S. congress is just that, a resolution not
binding on Japan.  Japan can ignore it.  But it would put moral and political
pressure on Japan. It is the best that we can hope for.

Unfortunately WWII is a past event of little concern to mainstream America.
We need grassroot support to push 126, but this is not an easy task for lack
of people and funding resources, and of powerful political allies.  It is in
this upstream struggle that we are in.  We have made some progress but we need
to expand our support base, continue to educate the public and key
legislators, and be smart in accomplishing our goal inspite of limited
resources.