San Francisco supervisors will hear testimony Thursday on a resolution to create a memorial for “comfort women,” who were allegedly kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese Army during World War II.
The resolution, introduced by Supervisor Eric Mar and co-sponsored by seven other supervisors, would urge city agencies to work with community groups in the design and creation of a memorial.
The proposal has drawn opposition from a number of Japanese community groups and individuals arguing that such a memorial would promote hatred toward the Japanese and promote divisions within the city’s Asian community, since many of the comfort women were Korean.
The Board of Supervisors’ Public Safety and Neighborhood Services Committee will consider the resolution Thursday at 2 p.m. It is expected to be referred to the full board for consideration at next Tuesday’s meeting.
Sara Gaiser, Bay City News
