BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
GILBERT
(GIL) M. HAIR
Executrve
Director COL. MELVIN H. ROSEN
Vice
Presiclent
DENIS
S. HUDSON Vice Preswe"t The HonoraWe DAN WINN. Esq.
Vice
PresWent MIGen. ROBERT A. GOODBARY Vice Preswent DANIEL W. MILES
Vice
Preswent TERRENCE H. KNEEBONE
Vice
Presiclent Mrs. JANE JANTZEN
Secretarv
LINDSAY
NIELSON. Esq.
CAR
Corporate Atromev PETER R. WYGLE Vice PresidWt CHARLES R. HILTY Vice President
Public Relations
DIRECTORS
FRED VI. HOLMES ~'rot. LESTER 1. TENNEY rHOMAS TIMBERMAN, Esq. :. WILLIAM
HEROLD LIDY WINSLOW MCBRIDE iEORGE C.MORA OBERT ALLEN 1ARCIA FEE ACHENBACH
DVISORS
rot. WILLIAM A. HARVEY. Esq. DBERT J. BAKER. CPA AURY N. HERMAN. Esq. kVID S.
CASEY, Esq. )U REDA UART LIPPE Gen.
7HOMAS T RAPNELL 4DR.',VILLIAM J.
HOPWOOD
)NSULTANTS
kRTYN DAY. Esq, VAN DAWS IDA GOETZ HOLMES 4ATIUS Y. DING MI SUZUKI. Esq. ~ASHI NIIMI, Esq. ZEN PARKER. Esq. CHANG
The
Center For Internee Rights, Inc.
6060 La
Gorce Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33140‑2117 Telephone: (305) 864‑2558 +
Fax: (305) 861‑8550 E‑mail: expows(gbigfbotcom # Website:
wwwnetcom.coinl‑expows
TOKYO
CONFERENCE ON JAPANESE WAR CRIMES AND REDRESS Tokyo,Jqpan. December 10 ‑
12, 1999
Presentation
by Gilbert M. Hair, Executive Director, The Center for Internee Rights, Inc.
and claimant in Allied POWlInternee Law suit against the Japanese Government
filed January 30', 1999 and now in the Tokyo Appeals Court. CFIR, Inc.
represents some 47,000 American POWs and Civilian Internees who were captured
and brutalized by Japan in WWII.
The
Center for Internee Rights, Inc. a non‑profit, tax exempt 501 (c)(3)
Corporation was formed in 1990 to represent the plight of the Allied POWs,
Civilian Internees and those InHiding who suffered untold depravation by the
Imperial Japanese Forces in World War Il.
CFIR,
Inc.'s primary agenda was and is to seek an apology and compensation for our
members and other victims from the Japanese Government. We also seek to provide
meaningful US Government benefits for these groups. We advocate truth and
justice and we fight against any form of historical revisionism. We promote
educational programs and research on WWII Pacific History. The Center works
very closely with Organizations in the United States, Great Britain, The
Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada and Australia in these specific objectiues.
CFIR,
Inc. also works closely with the Asian ‑ American Community in the US and
victims groups in the Pacific Region.
We
provide information and research data to victims seeking legal claims for stave
labor, forced labor and loss of personal property and assets. We provide
speakers and materials for educational forums and symposiums.
CFIR,
Inc. is one of the six Organizations representing the US, Great Britain, The
Netherlands, New Zealand and Australia in a Claim against the Japanese
Government. This Claim was filed in Tokyo in January 1995 and is now in the
Japanese Appellate Court. This Lawsuit seeks an official apology and $20,000
USD net per Claimant. To qualify as a Claimant, one must have been a national
of a WWII Allied country interned by Japanese Forces in WWII or an heir or
descendant of such and you need to be a member of CFIR, Inc.
You
might be asking yourself, why are we doing this now? As you know the United
States had two principle enemies in World War 11 ‑ Japan and Germany.
Germany has atoned for its transgressions in WWII by paying compensation to its
victims, returning stolen property and land as well as bank accounts, national
treasures and intellectual property. JRan has done nothing to atone. Worse yet,
they deny their history of brutality in the Pacific in the 1930's and 1940's
and remain unrepentant to this day. Many of the documents pertaining to Japan's
brutalities and atrocities have been kept secret until very recently and most
are still classified and unavailable to researchers, historians and victims.
A jVON
PROFIr rAX F_rEMPT OR64NIZ4 770VV
You no
doubt are familiar with such issues as the Sack of Manila, the Comfort Women,
Unit 73 1, the Rape of Nanking, the Hell Ships and Japan's use of Chemical and
Biological Warfare. Many of these events were kept out of the Tokyo War Crimes
Tribunal in order to make Japan a friend and ally against the encroachment of
communism in the Pacific after World War II. Japan was so convinced that they
were going to win the War that they abandoned the Agreements they had signed
relating to the Conduct of War. Treaties and Agreements such as The Hague and
the Geneva Conventions ‑ and all accepted International Legal precepts
pertaining to the Conduct of War and the treatment of Prisoners of War,
Civilian Internees, and other non‑combatants were abandoned and ignored
by Japan.
The
result was that those who were captured and interned by the Japanese had a
dramatically higher rate of mortality and morbidity than those captured and
interned by the Germans. The following information is provided for you to
understand how brutal the treatment was, if you were captured by Japanese
forces:
INFORMATION
ON U.S POWs HELD IN WWII MILITARY
There
were 130,201 US Military captured and interned in WWII. As of January I ` 1998,
52,531 were still alive (40.3116). Of the total count of U.S POWs in WWII
36,260 were captured and interned by the Japanese. On January Is' 1998, 7,195
were still alive (209/6). Here is the grim news; the comparison of those
military held by Germany and Japan.
U.S.
MILITARY HELD BY NAZIS BY JAPANESE Captured & Interned 93,941 36,260 Died
While POW 1,121 (1.10/0) 13,851 (38.201o) AliveonJanuary Ist 1999 42,035
(44016) 5,695 (15.7%) CIVILIANS
There
were 18,745 US Civilians captured and interned in WWII. As of January 1"
1998, 3,621 were still alive (17%). Of the total civilian POWs in WWII 13,996
were captured and interned bg the Japanese. On January I 't 1999, only 1,602
were still alive (11.4016). Again, here are the grim statistics; the comparison
of U.S. civilians interned by Germany versus those held by Japan.
U.S. CIVILIANS HELD BY NAZIS
Captured & Interned 4,749
Died While Interned 16 8 (3. 5 016)
Alive
on January 1", 19 9 9 1,591 (36.2016)
BY
JAPANESE 13,996 1,536 (1 101o) 1,602 (11.4016)
(These
are the official figures provided by the AXPOW Association on April 17', 1999.)
ACCOMPiLSHMENTS
TO DATE
1. CFIR
and other Victims of Japanese Atrocities Organizations have filed suit in the
Sub‑Commission on Human Rights at the United Nations in Geneva.
2. The
POW / Civilian Internee Groups received the endorsement in March of 1996 of the
Commonwealth ExServicemen League in our endeavors for compensation.
3. In
1997, we were instrumental in getting House Concurrent Resolution 126 (HCR 126)
introduced in the US Congress. This Bill expresses a sense to the House that
the Japanese Government should immediately issue a formal apology, pay
reparations to American Military and Civilians POWs.
4. In
December 1996, the US Department of Justice created the Japanese War Criminals
Watch List.
5.
Between 1994 and the present various members of the CFIR Board of Directors
have been speakers at various Symposiums and Conferences held around the US and
Canada.
6. We
have been successful in our work with other Civilian and Veteran Organizations
in securing benefits for POWs or their widows, civilian internees and those in‑hiding.
7. Our
Claim against the Japanese Government is now in the Appeals Process in the
Japanese Courts. The Decision should be made sometime late in 2000.
8.
Participated in the introduction and successful passage of S.1245 and AJR 27 in
the California Legislature. S. 1245 was chartered into Law in California on
July 27, 19.99. This Law now allows those used as slave or forced labor during
WWII to sue for compensation. Those eligible or their next of kin can file in
California Superior Court. AJR 2 7, passed by the California Legislature on
August 2 5, 1999, asks Japan to apologize and pay compensation for atrocities
committed by Japanese wartime troops. This Resolution was presented to the
Japanese Ambassador to the United States and sent to President Clinton and the
US Congress asking them to support this Legislation on a national level.
9.
CFIR, Inc. has promoted the publication and sales of over 25 books and videos
focusing on the Pacific War in WWII.
10.
CFIR, Inc. developed a series of speakers and programs on "Japanese
Transgressions in the 1930's and 1940's" at the Commonwealth Club in San
Francisco. This series kicked off in early 1998 and will continue into the year
2000.
11. We
are currently getting Legislation introduced and passed by the US Congress to
declassify documents pertaining to WWII Pacific Theater and to update the
benefits provided by the War Claims Act of 1948.
12.
Current Legislation in the US Congress that CFIR, Inc. has helped to introduce:
a) S.
1902 ‑ Introduced by Senator Feinstein of California on November I I '
1999. This Bill will
declassify documents relating to WWII Pacific
and the Japanese imperial Army.
b) S.
1856 ‑ Introduced by Senators Schumer and Torricelli on November 4' 1999.
This Bill calls for the codification of WWII War Crimes by amending the US Code
to authorize Federal District Courts to hear Civil Actions to recover damages
to
persons and property resulting from the activities of Germany and Japan in
WWII.
c) S.
1356 ‑ Introduced by Senators Leahy and Kohl on July 15' 1999. Also known
as The Anti
Atrocity
Alien Deportation Act. Provides that Aliens who commit acts of torture abroad
are inadmissible or are to be removed immediately if found in the US.
d) H.
R. 5 1 ‑ This Resolution was
introduced in the Spring of 1999 and recognizes the suffering and
hardship of American Civilian Internees in
WWII.
e) H.
R. 304 ‑ Introduced by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on September 29'h
199, this Resolution expresses the sense of the house of representatives
concerning War crimes committed by Japan in WWII. It also calls for the
declassification of documents concerning Japan's medical, chemical and
biological experiments on POWs and Civilians.
Last
week on December 6', senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary
Committee sent a letter to Secretary of state Madeleine Albright requesting her
to open dialogue with the Japanese Government concerning brutal treatment of
American POWs.
There
have been I I cases filed thus far in the US against Japanese corporations who
unlawfully used slave and forced labor in WWII. Many more are to follow. I will
leave this subject for my fellow panelist Attorney, Barry Fisher. As you can
see from what I have told you today, there is growing interest and concern in
the United States regarding Japanese transgressions in WWII.
As with
the German Holocaust issues, more people and more members of our Government are
focusing their attention on Japan's failure to address their responsibilities
for their war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights violations and
their continued efforts to revise the history of WWII.
Outside
pressure from the world community and internal pressure by the good and
honorable people of Japan will eventually force the Japanese government to face
these important responsibilities.
I urge
all of you here today to spread this information so the victims of Japan can
receive justice and true reconciliation can be achieve and there can be an
honorable closure in this matter.
Thank
you for being here.
c) S.
1356 ‑ Introduced by Senators Leahy and Kohl on July 15' 1999. Also known
as The AntiAtrocity Alien Deportation Act. Provides that Aliens who commit acts
of torture abroad are inadmissible or are to be removed immediately if found in
the US.
H. R. 5
1 ‑ This Resolution was
introduced in the Spring of 1999 and recognizes the suffering and
hardship
of American Civilian Internees in WWII.
e) H.
R. 304 ‑ Introduced by Congressman Dana Rohrabacher on September 29' 199,
this Resolution expresses the sense of the house of representatives concerning
War crimes committed by Japan in WWII. It also calls for the declassification
of documents concerning Japan's medical, chemical and biological experiments on
POWs and Civilians.
Last
week on December 6', senator Orrin Hatch, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary
Committee sent a letter to Secretary of state Madeleine Albright requesting her
to open dialogue with the Japanese Government concerning brutal treatment of
American POWs.
There
have been I I cases filed thus far in the US against Japanese corporations who
unlawfully used slave and forced labor in WWII. Many more are to follow. I will
leave this subject for my fellow panelist Attorney, Barry Fisher. As you can
see from what I have told you today, there is growing interest and concern in
the United States regarding Japanese transgressions in WWII.
As with
the German Holocaust issues, more people and more members of our Government are
focusing their attention on Japan's failure to address their responsibilities
for their war crimes, crimes against humanity, human rights violations and
their continued efforts to revise the history of WWII.
Outside
pressure from the world community and internal pressure by the good and
honorable people of Japan will eventually force the Japanese government to face
these important responsibilities.
I urge
all of you here today to spread this information so the victims of Japan can
receive justice and true reconciliation can be achieve and there can be an
honorable closure in this matter.
Thank
you for being here.
Board
of Directors/Officers/Advisors/Consultants ‑ 1999 Officers
Gilbert
‑(Gil) M. Hair ‑ Founder and Executive Director of CFIR, Inc. Santo
Tomas Internee. Retired Airline Executive & Investment Banker/Stockbroker.
Miami Beach, FL. Phone: (305) 864 ‑ 2558. Fax: (305) 8618550.
Col.
Melvin H. Rosen, USA Met) ‑ Vice President Bataan Death March,
Cabanatuan, Hell Ships, Slave Labor Survivor. Falls Church, VA. Phone: (703)
560 ‑ 5557. Fax: (703) 560 ‑ 0327.
Denis
S. Hudson ‑ Vice‑President. Business Consultant. Yuyuen Road and
Yangtse‑Poo Camps. San Francisco, CA. Phone: (415) 831‑ 0419. Fax:
(415) 597 ‑ 6729.
The
Honorable Dan Winn, Esq. ‑ Vice President. Senior Judge, State of
Georgia. Member World Assn. Of Judges and World Jurist Assn. Cedartown, GA.
Phone: (770) 748 ‑ 3227. Fax: (770) 749 ‑ 2123.
M/Gen.
Robert A. Goodbary USA (Ret.) ‑ Vice President. Former Deputy Asst.
Secretary of Defense. Dir. Military Relations ‑ Oklahoma St. Univ.
Eamond, OK. Phone: (405) 359 ‑ 1490. Fax: (405) 744 ‑ 8158.
Daniel
W. Miles ‑ Vice President. Los Banos Internee. Consulting Engineer.
Brockton, MA. Phone (508) 583 3721, Fax: (508) 583 ‑ 4402.
Terrance
Kneebone ‑ Vice President Camp Holmes Internee. Retired FSO. Cedaredge,
CO. Phone: (970) 856 ‑6142, Fax: (970) 856 ‑ 3918.
Peter
R. WyQle ‑ Vice President Santo Tomas Internment Camp. Engineer &
Author. Colonel, US Army (Ret.) Ventura, CA. Phone: (805) 642 ‑ 6602 /
2998.
Mrs.
Jane M. Jantzen ‑ Co‑founder and Secretary. Santo Tomas Internment
Camp. Widow of Senior CIA Official. Miami Beach, k. Phone: (305) 866‑9935.
Fax: (305) 861 ‑ 8550.
Lindsay
Nielson, Esg. ‑ CFIR Corporate Attorney. Santo Tomas Internment Camp.
Attorney & Senior Partner. Ventura, CA. Phone: (805) 658 ‑ 0977. Fax:
(805) 658 ‑ 2801.
Charles
R. Hilty ‑ Vice President. PR Exec. & Former Congressional Staffer
& Asst. Secretary of Agriculture. NOK, Reston, VA Phone: (703) 904 ‑
9317, Fax: (703) 481 ‑ 1596.
Directors
Lester
1. Tenney, Ph. D. ‑ Author and Financial Consultant. O'Donnell, Hell
Ship, Slave Labor. Phoenix, AZ Phone: (619) 454‑8310 (summer), Fax: (602)
598‑0622. Wrote "My Hitch in Hell"
Thomas
M.F. Timberman, Esq. ‑ Media Advisor. Retired Foreign Service Officer
& Former U.S. Ambassador to Malabo. Attorney. Rock Hall, MA. Phone: (410)
639 ‑ 7840 Fax: (410) 639 ‑ 2256.
Fred
Holmes ‑ Co‑founder and Director. STIC Internee, Retired. Engineer
with TRW Corp. Thousand Oaks, CA. Phone: (805) 492 ‑ 8888.
George
C. Mora ‑ Drug & Alcohol Counselor. Los Banos, Internee, Foster City,
CA. Phone: (650) 3494555, Fax: (415) 345 ‑ 5116. Robert Allen ‑
Hotel Owner/Developer, Los Banos Internee, Kaneohe, Hl. Phone/Fax: (808) 2473568.
Judy
Winslow McBride ‑ Social & Pol. Events Planner. Santo Tomas Internee.
Greenwich, CT. Phone: (203) 869 ‑6612, Fax: (203) 622 ‑ 311 S.
Marcia
Fee Achenbach ‑ Clinical Social Worker. STIC Internee. Evanston, IL.
Phone: (312) 263‑ 5523. C. William Herold ‑ Engineer, Baguio
Internee. Sylacauga. AL. Phone: (205) 249 ‑ 9472
Advisors
Professor
William F. Harvey, Esq. ‑ POW, NOK, Professor of Law Emeritus, Indiana
University, Indianapolis, IN Phone: (317) 872 ‑ 4539.
Lt.
General Thomas J.H. Trapnell, USA (Ret.1 ‑ Senior Surviving Officer ‑
Bataan Death March, Camp O'Donnell, 3 Hell Ships, Japan Slave Labor. Ft.
Beivoir, VA.
Comdr.
William J. Hopwood USNR (Ret.), ‑ USNR Retired. WWII Historian, Miami,
FL. Phone: (305) 667 9815, Fax: (305) 740 ‑ 9425.
Robert
J. Baker ‑ CPA. Husband of Philippine Internee, Norma Saunders Baker.
Webb City, MO. Phone: (417)
673 ‑
2432. Fax: (417) 673 ‑ 1837. Stuart Upe ‑ Retired FSO, Bethesda,
MD. Phone: (202) 458 ‑ 4169. Fax: (202) 477 ‑ 3786.
Lou
Reda ‑ CEO, Lou Reda Productions. History and Military Documentary
Producer. Easton, PA. Phone (610) 258 ‑2957. Fax: (610) 258 ‑ 5284.
"Japanese War Crimes & Trials: Murder Under the Sun"
Iris
Chang ‑ Author "Rape of Nanking", Sunnyvale, CA. Phone: (408)
736 ‑ 8679 Fax: (408) 746 ‑ 0941. Consultants
Marlyn
ay, Esq. ‑ Leigh. Day & Co. Solicitor. Legal Coordinator for Allied
Compensation Claim. London Phone: 011 ‑44 ‑ 171‑ 650 ‑
1200 Fax: 011 ‑ 44 ‑ 171 ‑ 253 ‑ 4433.
Takashi
Nlimi, Esq. KOGA & Partners, Tokyo. Fax: 011 ‑ 81 ‑ 3 ‑
3578 ‑ 8692. Isomi Suzuki, Esq. ‑ KOGA & Partners. Tokyo Phone:
011 ‑ 81 ‑ 3 ‑ 3578 ‑ 8681 Karen Parker, Esq. ‑
International Human Rights Attorney. SFO. Phone/Fax: (415) 668 ‑ 2752.
Gavan
Daws ‑ Author/Historian, Wrote "Prisoners of the Japanese"
Honolulu, HI P/F: (808) 988 ‑ 9613 Linda Goetz Holmes ‑
Joumalist/Author, Shelter Island, NY. Phone/Fax: (516) 749 ‑ 1202.
Ignatius
Y. Ding ‑ Computer Engineer (Alliance) Cupertino, CA. Phone/Fax: (408)
446 ‑ 4641 Ao Wang_‑_Sottware Engineer, Columbia, MD Phone: (410)
730 ‑ 5971 Fax: (410) 730 ‑ 3641.