... the wrong way. Prisoners of war held by the Japanese during WWII have been similarly denied the right to seek redress.
This is a bill introduced in the US Congress; I don't really know anything about its fate:
http://www.theorator.com/bills108/hr1864.htmlAn article about it:
http://www.house.gov/honda/POW_articles/Honda_Rohrabacher_push_for_POW_reparations.PDFIt appears to relate to claims for compensation from corporations that used POW slave labour.
An article from the LA Times:
http://www.sjwar.org/lat033100.htmI'm not being too helpful; don't know the status of the Japanese POW situation. Anyone who wants more could try what I asked google for:
compensation japan "prisoners of war" "united states"The Korean women held as sex slaves have also sought compensation from the Japanese government.
The Canadian story:
http://www.waramps.ca/video/chkv.htmlNews of the atrocities carried out under the
direction of the Japanese government in The
Second World War prompted The War Amps to
argue a claim for compensation for former Hong
Kong Prisoners of War before the Human
Rights Commission of the United Nations in
Geneva beginning in 1987. Japan stonewalled
the claim and the Human Rights Commission
was reluctant to proceed without the support of
the Canadian government.
Canada's Department of Justice stated that the
Peace Treaty signed between Japan and Canada
in 1952 extinguished the claim. However, The
War Amps pointed out that international law
states no government can waive the right of its
citizens for claims under the Geneva
Convention.
...
On December 11, 1998, the Canadian
government granted compensation of $24,000
to each surviving Far East PoW or to their
widow for the forced labour that the Canadian
servicemen endured while prisoners of the
Japanese during the Second World War.
Perhaps the US government is planning to pay compensation itself?
I think I need a sarcasm tag there ...
But seriously, it's a difficult question. The government responsible for the POWs' treatment was also responsible for mistreatment of its own population. With that government now gone, the population would be paying the compensation, and should it (morally, kinda, not legally) be held liable for the oppressive government's wrongdoing?
.
Edit: okay, duh, it's late and I missed the point. These POWs actually were awarded the money. Oh well, the Japan stuff is still interesting random info ...
I think maybe the new govt in Iraq, whenever there is one, should be suing to get *all* the money back. And then using some of it to bring the US before the International Court of Justice (note, note the International Criminal Court) for the illegal acts of war etc. it committed.
.