Chinese, Korean Americans in SF take to street against Japanese PM

SAN FRANCISCO, April 28 -- Hundreds of Chinese and Korean Americans took to the street on Tuesday in San Francisco, demanding an apology from visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The demonstration started in the morning in front of the building housing the Japanese consulate in this U.S. west coast city and continued through early afternoon.

The event was organized by the Global Alliance for Preserving the History of Second World War (WWII) in Asia and Chinese American Association of Commerce in San Francisco, together with some other groups, including Korean American Chamber of Commerce in North California and Korea American Seniors Association of San Francisco.

Abe is in Washington D.C. on Tuesday and will be in San Francisco as part of his U.S. tour.

In a question and answer (Q&A) session during his speech on Monday at Harvard University, Abe labeled comfort women, a euphemism for sex slaves forced to serve Japanese imperial army during WWII, as "victims by human trafficking," a clear sign that he blamed the suffering of up to 400,000 women, mostly Koreans and Chinese, on local people other than the Japanese army.

Shouting "No Cover up of War Crimes!" the crowd was furious against Abe and his latest whitewash of Japanese war past.

"No Militarism, No Imperial Japan!" they demanded.

In a letter intended for Abe, presumably through the Japanese consulate, the organizers asked that the Japanese government acknowledge and accept war responsibilities and offer national apology through legislation.

They also demanded that Abe administration stop distort history, especially stopping to interfere with teaching materials and public education in regards to Japan's role as aggressor and oppressor of neighboring nations 70 years ago.

However, no officials from the Japanese consulate came out to receive the letter, and members of the organizing groups trying to approach the consulate were threatened with arrests.