Nationalism, but not bigotry
Japanese Prime Minister Koi-zumi's visit to the Yasukuni shrine provoked vigorous protests in South Korea and China. Some people in Taiwan criticize the government for disregarding history and not taking any action to voice their discontent. But in my view, this is what makes the people of Taiwan less troublesome and more rational in comparison to those in South Korea and China.
The Koreans and Chinese have always intimidated the world with their ardent nationalism and violent protests by college students. But is this a good thing? Both nations have retained their anti-Japanese sentiment since the end of World War II. But to direct this animosity to Japan's annual ceremony for its fallen soldiers seems too political.
It is indeed inappropriate for Japanese to ignore their errors in history textbooks, but for Asian nationalists to use a visit to the shrine to increase their anti-Japanese sentiment seems inappropriate as well.
In Taiwan, a significant number of people are deeply prejudiced against Japanese due to the KMT's educational legacy. Their hatred comes from their identity as Chinese and sympathy for China's suffering during World War II. But the Taiwanese under Japanese rule did not experience the same horrors. So how can it be our place to protest against Koizumi's visit to the shrine? Those who object to the government's measured res-ponse to this event seem to forget Taiwan's own experience.
Taiwan is considered internationally more rational and less nationalistic than other Asian countries. This is an enviable position. Unnecessary nationalism accompanied by blatant bigotry can only diminish Taiwan's reputation as a rational, modern country.
Yu Wenchi
Chicago, Illinois
Summits and protesters
Since Seattle, Davos and Genoa, the world has come to know that every important international meeting dealing with globalization and/or related subjects will be accompanied by street demonstrations involving thousands of members of non-governmental organizations from all over the world.
Unfortunately these masses of idealistic and non-violent demonstrators are infiltrated by relatively small groups of criminal elements such as the Black Bloc anarchists and other hooligans and rioters who have as their major objective to create havoc and to use any opportunity to loot, battle the police, or to enjoy an orgy of vandalism.
The police forces in most countries are not trained to cope with this mixture of idealism and criminality. The sad result is that many innocent demonstrators are mishandled by the police or end up in jail.
How can a solution be found to this problem which will not disappear but only get worse and bloodier in the future?
Some people think that the demonstrators and the conferences should be physically separated. Prime Minister Jean Chretien of Canada is already planning to have next year's meeting of the G-8 take place in a castle high in the mountains, which can only be reached by one road. Other people are promoting the idea of having these important meetings onboard cruise ships on the high seas.
I am afraid that Chretien and the others underestimate the ingenuity of the NGO's. The most logical and wisest solution to the problem is, of course, to invite the demonstrators to participate in the meetings and to listen very carefully to what they have to say. After all, this is the principle of democracy. Bringing the NGO's from the streets into the conference rooms is only a question of changing the format of the meetings.
The rich must start the dialogue with the poor, whether they like it or not. Otherwise the world will be in big trouble because the poor will not continue to tolerate their suffering forever. Hasn't the history of communism, with the bloody annihilation of millions of innocent victims, taught us a lesson?
Frans Soede
Phuket, Thailand
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