Thursday, December 8, 2011

Japan apologizes to former Canadian POWs

Dec 8, 12:22 PM EST


Japan apologizes to former Canadian POWs


TORONTO (AP) -- Japan has apologized for the mistreatment of Canadian prisoners of war after the Battle of Hong Kong in World War II.

Canadian Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney said Thursday that Toshiyuki Kato, Japan's parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs, apologized in Tokyo to Canadian veterans in a private meeting.

It is the 70th anniversary of Japan's invasion of Hong Kong in 1941.

About 1,975 Canadian troops were sent to reinforce Allied troops defending Hong Kong, a British colony at the time, as Japanese forces massed near the border in 1941.

About 290 Canadians were killed and 493 wounded. Another 267 men died in prison in Hong Kong and Japan where they were subjected to what Canada calls mistreatment by their captors until Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945.

Please read complete article at link below:


http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CN_CANADA_JAPAN_POW_APOLOGY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-12-08-12-22-03

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