Australia's lawmakers rejected a resolution Wednesday calling on Japan to apologize for forcing women to work as sex slaves in military brothels during World War II.
The resolution on the euphemistically named "comfort women" was defeated in Parliament's upper house after it failed to gain the backing of the ruling Liberal-led coalition.
The opposition Labor Party and the minority Greens, Democrats and Family First parties all supported the resolution but did not have sufficient numbers in the final vote.
It was the third time a resolution calling for an official apology from the Japanese government and compensation for comfort women has been rejected by Australian lawmakers.
Supporters had hoped the latest resolution would be passed after the successful backing of a similar motion by the U.S. House of Representatives in July.