The wave of anti-Japan protests reached New York Friday when about 500 Chinese and South Korean residents held a demonstration opposing Tokyo's demand for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
The protest took place on a street near UN headquarters and in front of the Japan Society in New York, which was watched by a handful of the city's police officers. No violent incidents were reported.
With loudspeakers blaring martial Chinese music and vociferous speeches, the protesters waved Chinese and South Korean flags and urged the UN to reject Japan's demand for a permanent seat.
It was the first time an anti-Japan protest was held in New York City in the wake of much larger and sometimes violent demonstrations in several cities in China and in Hong Kong in past weeks. The Chinese government allowed the protests, but this week, called on the Chinese people for restraint after Tokyo lodged strong protests.
The East Coast Coalition of Chinese Americans claimed in a statement that "Japan poses a potential danger to East Asia."
"For the war atrocities committed by the Japanese army in China during World War II, Japan never apologized, never paid any reparations but revised the history in the textbooks, the statement by the US group said.
The protesters carried banners that read, "Don't forget Pearl Harbor", referring to the attack on the US naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941, by the Japanese, which prompted the US to enter World War II. Other banners read, "Nazi Japan raped and slaughtered" and "Veto Japan, Vote for Peace."
Some protesters carried the best-selling book The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang, a Chinese American writer who researched the atrocities committed by Japanese troops after they seized Nanking in December 1939.
Japan is among a handful of countries that have demanded a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council. Germany, Brazil, India and some African nations want to join the US, China, Russia, France and Britain as permanent members.
Negotiations are under way to reform the council by enlarging its membership from the current 15 countries to 24. A permanent seat confers prestige and power in the decision-making in the UN system.
The current five permanent members wield veto power over UN resolutions and make all important political decisions affecting peace and security in the world.
The 191-nation General Assembly will meet in September to decide on the new Security Council.
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
Africa has established the continent’s first space agency to boost Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more hostile global context is limiting the availability of climate and weather information. The African Space Agency opened its doors last month under the umbrella of the African Union and is headquartered in Cairo. The new organization, which is still being set up and hiring people in key positions, is to coordinate existing national space programs. It aims to improve the continent’s space infrastructure by launching satellites, setting up weather stations and making sure data can be shared across
RSS