HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

62

TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

SUPPORTING THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI IN THEIR EFFORTS TO ADDRESS WAR REPARATIONS.

 

WHEREAS, two days after the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor, Japanese aircraft bombed the Republic of Kiribati, formerly known as the Gilbert Islands, including Banaba, and later reconnaissance parties landed on Tarawa and Butaritari; and

WHEREAS, in 1942, Japanese armed forces occupied the Republic of Kiribati; and

WHEREAS, American forces invaded Tarawa in late 1943 and drove the Japanese from most of the Gilbert Islands; and

WHEREAS, Banaba was not reoccupied by American forces until 1945, by which time the Japanese had massacred all but one man of the imported labor force; and

WHEREAS, native inhabitants of Banaba, the Banabans, had been deported to Nauru and Kosrae (Caroline Islands) and after their rescue, Banabans elected to live on Rabi Island, Fiji, which had earlier been bought for them; and

WHEREAS, the people of Kiribati suffered tremendous atrocities and losses as a result of the occupation of the island by Japanese armed forces during World War II; and

WHEREAS, many people of Kiribati were not given the opportunity during the aftermath of World War II to file a war reparations claim; and

WHEREAS, after sixty years, the people of Kiribati deserve to have a final resolution on the long-awaited issue of war reparations and due recognition for their heroic sacrifices and struggle during the Japanese occupation; and

WHEREAS, the member nations of the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures recognize the sacrifice and suffering of the people of the Republic of Kiribati and the injustice further inflicted upon them due to the lack of resolution by the governments of Japan and the United States to address war reparations for the people of the Republic of Kiribati; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature of the State of Hawaii strongly supports the government and the people of the Republic of Kiribati in their efforts to address war reparations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States through the Secretary of State, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Prime Minister of Japan through the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu, the President of the Republic of Kiribati through the Consulate of the Republic of Kiribati in Honolulu, the President of the Association of Pacific Island Legislatures, and the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Republic of Kiribati; World War II Reparations