[JURIST] Protesters in cities across Asia Wednesday urged government officials in Japan to apologize for the actions of the Imperial Army [Wikipedia backgrounder] and compensate women forced into sexual slavery in brothels run by the Japanese military before and during WWII. The nearly 200,000, mostly Korean sex slaves known as "comfort women" [Wikipedia backgrounder] have received some apologies from the Japanese government, which has also set up a private fund for compensation. Critics have been angered by recent statements from officials downplaying the brothels and the approval this year of schoolbooks in Japan that omit references to sexual slavery. As the 60th anniversary of Japan's defeat in WWII approaches, many are pushing for greater compensation [Amnesty International press release] for the women but Japan argues that bilateral treaties rule out any official payouts to individuals. Reuters has more. The Seoul Times has local coverage.