(The
Philippine Star) | Updated August 3, 2013 - 12:00am
It
may be a coincidence but while in London I read a review of Rama
Mitter’s book, “China’s War with Japan, 1937-1945: The Struggle
for Survival.” The review was written by Martin Jacques for the
Financial Times.
I
realized how little we know about the enmity between these two
countries. But as Mitter points out 14 million Chinese died in
“defense of the realm.” At the time China was a poor, developing
country and treated as an inferior by the US and Britain even as both
came to its aid in its fight with Japan. The review says that this is
a neglected fact because soon after fascism was defeated in 1945 “the
geopolitical cards were reshuffled.”
“The
anti-fascist imperative gave way to the exigencies of the cold war.
Japan, from being a pariah became America’s key east Asian ally
while China became the new enemy.”
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On
landing in Manila and with this background in mind, I cannot help but
view the joint statement between Japan’s Prime Minister and the
Philippine president with a large dose of salt. By all means let us
accept Japan’s helping hand and Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s
four initiatives especially for economic reasons. But as always it
should be with a “caveat emptor.” And the best way to do this is
to keep an even hand in dealing with economic and development
partners whether it is Japan, China or the US.
What
we should avoid is to be used as a staging ground for war of the
‘biggies’. We should continue to foster good relations with China
and focus our efforts on what is good for our country rather than be
a prey for a geopolitical agenda in which Japan is playing a
significant role. Neither can China be blamed for feeling threatened
once again and feel compelled to “defend its realm.”
Opinion
( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1
As
Mitter’s book reminds us “Between 1868 and 1945 the country
(Japan) fought 10 major wars, lasting 30 years in total, all but one
at the expense of its Asian neighbors (including the Philippines).
From 1937 it was to carve through much of northern, central, eastern
and southern China. Chiang’s forces were in perpetual retreat.”
That
past impinges on the present and explains why China would not want to
be as helpless as it was before. Its attitudes have been shaped by a
harrowing history of war especially with Japan. “Mitter’s
descriptions of the Japanese massacre in Nanjing, where hundreds of
thousands were killed, and life in the air-raid shelters in the
western city of Chongqing are compelling,” the review adds.
It
is that fear of the past that compels China to act so it would not be
as vulnerable as it had once been.
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This
is the era of “problematic” elections. But as usual some are more
problematic than others, I am beginning to wonder just what elections
are being used for other than a country being able to choose its
leaders.
I
was struck by some comments made by my friend Belinda
Olivares-Cunanan in her blog Polbits on the recent elections in
Cambodia. She was invited by former Speaker Jose De Venecia,
president of ICAPP, to be part of the monitoring team of the
elections.
Since
I was not there I will just quote parts of her article and you can
draw your own conclusions.
“I
had this strong déjà vu feeling in Phnom Penh as I listened to
claims of election irregularities and to Sam Rainsy’s plea for US
support for recount of votes.
Rainsy
is luckier than us Filipinos: we have documented all kinds of issues
vs. Comelec but Brillantes simply stonewalls them and no reaction
from US.”
Cunanan’s
comments depart from the usual made to assess elections in various
countries because she tackles it from a geopolitical vantage point.
She said she thought she was taking a vacation from local politics
with the Smartmatic-PCOS issue still unresolved and pending. And
although there were accusations of cheating too in Cambodia, the
Philippine elections cheating formula is quite different. She laments
though that there is an uneven treatment of the US on elections in
the Philippines and Cambodia.
After
the opposition candidate Sam Rainsy met with the American Ambassador
things began to move.
“Soon
enough a spokesperson from the US State Department in Washington
issued a statement expressing concern about the numerous reported
irregularities in the elections, including “systemic flaws such as
problems in the voter registry and unequal access to the media.”
While careful about being perceived as backing the opposition’s
call for an investigation “specifically,” nevertheless it safely
stressed the need “for a full and transparent investigation that
will be (viewed) as credible by the Cambodian people.”
In
this regard, I can only envy the Cambodian people, for we Filipinos
who had monitored our own national and local elections of last May
have grown hoarse presenting all manner of irregularities, and yet
the US government, represented by Amb. Harry Thomas, chose to play
the role of the traditional monkey in Asian fable – see no evil,
hear no evil, speak no evil.
Obviously
the US ploy is to protect the results as far back as our first fully
automated elections of 2010 that, in the light of so many revelations
that have since surfaced about the PCOS machines, have put into
question the legitimacy of the leadership installed then. Why
the US role of the traditional monkey? It’s all about the issue of
basing and geopolitical realities.”
(CNP:
It is not too bad if it should encourage us to finally grow out of US
dependence. Elections should be our business not anybody else’s.
Have you ever heard of election monitors in the UK, Australia, France
etc.)
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