Aso Admits POW Labor at Family Mining Firm

Tokyo, Jan. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso
acknowledged Tuesday that a now defunct mining company run by his family
used Allied prisoners of war as laborers during World War II.

In line with old documents released by the welfare ministry last
month, Aso said foreign prisoners worked at Aso Mining. He made the remarks
at a plenary session of the House of Representatives.
The presence of foreign prisoners at Aso Mining was reported by a
U.S. newspaper in November 2006, when Aso was foreign minister.
In response, Japan's Foreign Ministry posted a note denying the
content of the report on a Web site run by the Japanese consulate-general in
New York.
But soon after the release of the Japanese documents confirming the
presence of some 300 prisoners, the Foreign Ministry deleted the note.
Recent investigations by the welfare ministry have found that Aso
Mining employed Allied prisoners, Aso said, adding that he was not aware of
this when the note was posted on the Web site.