日本首相就慰安妇问题道歉一托福阅读机经背景.docxVIP

智课网TOEFL备考资料日本首相就慰安妇问题道歉一托福阅读机经背景 apans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has apologised in parliament for the countrys use of women as sex slaves during World War II. The apology comes after Mr Abe was criticised by Asian neighbours for previous comments casting doubt on whether the women were coerced. Mr Abe told parliament: I apologise here and now as prime minister. This appears to be part of a concerted bid to reduce the fall-out of earlier comments, a BBC correspondent says. Mr Abe said, during a debate in parliaments upper house, that he stood by an official 1993 statement in which Japan acknowledged the imperial army set up and ran brothels for its troops during the war. As I frequently say, I feel sympathy for the people who underwent hardships, and I apologise for the fact that they were placed in this situation at the time, he said. His statement has gone a little further than similar attempts to clarify his position two weeks ago, but is unlikely to satisfy all his critics abroad, the BBCs Chris Hogg in Tokyo says. The row over his comments have compounded the difficulties facing Mr Abe. His six-month premiership has already been rocked by a series of scandals and gaffes. An opinion poll on Monday found public support for him - Japans youngest ever prime minister - had shrunk to just 35%. US resolution Mr Abe provoked an angry reaction earlier this month after questioning whether there was any proof that the Japanese military kidnapped women to work as sex slaves during the war. Mr Abes comments drew sharp criticism from China and South Korea in particular, where many of the women came from. Many historians believe Japan compelled up to 200,000 women - who also came from the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan - to become sex slaves during the war. But some Japanese conservatives argue that the women were professional prostitutes who had been paid for their services, and any abuses were carried out by private contractors r