11 Jun 2004

Review calls for more WWII compensation to Guam

10:50 am on 11 June 2004

The Guam War Claims Review Commission says Chamorros who suffered during the Second World War weren't adequately compensated.

The Commission is also recommending that the US Congress provide compensation to the families of those killed, and wounded, during the Japanese occupation of Guam.

The commission is charged with determining whether the US government's treatment of Guam is on a par with that of other areas, such as the Philippines and Micronesia, in paying compensation linked to Japanese occupation during World War II.

Many families said they didn't file claims under the Guam Meritorious Claims Act of 1945.

The Claims Act, implemented after World War II, allowed the island's residents during the Japanese occupation to receive compensation for war atrocities.

The law had a one-year time limit.