School teachers, children held hostage on Philippine bus

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/03/26/monday/index.html

In an attempt to make a statement regarding the poor domestic conditions young children in the Phillipines have to put up with, Jun Ducat, an owner of a day-care centre in Manila took a bus-load of school teachers and children hostage outside the City Hall of Manila. Jun Ducat and his aide were both armed with explosives and firearms and having staged such antics before the upcoming elections, both of them look to be severely punished.

However, many parents of the children who were taken hostage have come out to defend Jun and his aide as they feel that he was making a valid point as the nation gets ready to go to the polls to vote. In fact, many Filipinos feel that what Jun did was an act of sacrifice. In their eyes, Jun is like a revered hero who was willing to take the risk of being prosecuted in order to draw attention to the appalling standard of living poverty stricken Filipinos put with in slums and squatter settlements.

Although the intention was very honorable, I must say the ends did not justify the means in this case. In fact, Jun Ducat is setting a very bad example for young children in the Philippines, that you can get whatever you demand by wielding a grenade and a sub-machine gun. In a country already paralysed by violence in the form of terrorists and political killings, acts such as this cannot be tolerated. I believe much more would have been achieved if Mr. Jun Ducat staged his protest through more peaceful and diplomatic means. One might say the authorities would not give a hoot if Mr. Jun Ducat did things differently but it would certainly have saved him from prosecution, which would enable him to do more to help those he's protesting for. There is no doubt that Mr. Jun Ducat has committed an offence. But I hope the authorities won't punish him too severely because his intentions were indeed very admirable and honorable.

Soldier gets 5 years in rape, killings in Iraq

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/03/21/iraq.rape.ap/index.html

The war in Iraq has already drawn flak from many sectors and this recent murder and rape case involving US Marines and an Iraqi family will certainly not improve the situation in Iraq.

Many believe that the war has already spun out of control and to prove it, cases such as this as well as the death of military personnels do not make the headline news anymore, which goes to show just how common these cases are.

In this particular case, a soldier is sentenced to imprisonment for 5 years for failing to stop his fellow comrades from raping an Iraqi girl and then later murdering her and her family. It was reported that the maximum sentence was 15 years but isn't it a bit too lenient after 4 innocent lives were lost in such a disgraceful way?

I find it so ironic that the very same people sent there to fight for the freedom and liberation of the Iraqi people are the same people imposing oppression and misery on them. It is obvious that the lessons learnt from atrocities committed at Abu Ghraib have not made an impression on those who were involved. I shudder to think how many more soldiers over there harbour intentions of committing a crime similar to the one committed here. Hence it is my opinion that those guilty of this heinous crime should be severely punished by their superiors and also be trialed for committing war-crimes. At the rate things are going, I believe it is going to take a long while before the Iraqi people get the freedom they have been crying out for.

Naomi Campbell begins community service

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/03/19/people.naomi.campbell.ap/index.html



Naomi Campbell, a famous super-model, reported to a sanitation garage on Monday morning to begin five-days of community service after she was found guilty of assaulting her maid.

I must say that I am appalled to learn that a person like her who is suppose to emboss elegance, poise and beauty could commit such a despicable act against someone who is in a less privileged position. However it is good to know that justice was upheld and Naomi Campbell, in spite of her fame and fortune was spared no mercy for the atrocity she committed against her maid.

I believe that Naomi Campbell, being such a prominent figure, particularly among youngsters who look to her as someone they can admire, should have exercised better judgement in the way she treated her maid. When you are so influential among young minds, you have a responsibly of being a good role model, not a maid-assaulting, spoilt prima donna.

It is certainly my wish that this event would send out a warning to other celebrities and high-profile figures that they are not above the law and that if they were to break the law, they too would be held accountable!

Tackling London's sex slave shame

CNN Website:- http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/03/19/slavery.vanmarsh/index.html

Although it may come to many as no surprise that slavery, particularly sexual slavery, still exists in a great democratic country such Britain, it still shocks and saddens me to see young children and women leave their families and home in search of a better future and life only to be coerced in doing things that they did not expect to do such as child labour and sexual slavery.

In today's world, great democracies such as the UK and the United States barge into countries with all guns-blazing preaching the greatness of democracy and freedom only to find the very same thing they're fighting for missing in their very own backyard. They claim that the fight is going on overseas so that it would not have to happen at home. But to those oppressed by slavery in these nations, there is no one fighting for them at all.

The most prominent form of slavery is prostitution, a form of sexual slavery. It is reputedly the oldest trade in the world. It is found in every country even thought it is not legalized in some. It is more commonly found in effluent societies where people can actually afford to pay for sexual favours and this is where the problem begins. Young, dignified women come to these developed countries in search of a decent job with a good pay only to realise that they'd have to sleep their way to a salary. However, many effluent countries, although they did not legalize prostitution, refuse to clamp down hard on it either because the trade itself does help to boost some of the other businesses in the country such as the alcohol and hospitality industry, for some even the tourism industry.

Although many argue that prostitution and other forms of slavery offer poor people with no real skills a source of income, it is still undeniable that it is both inethical and repulsive. Governments all across the world should step up their efforts in stamping out slavery, particularly the kinds that affect women and children. If people like you and I, as well as those in power, desensitize ourselves and say, "It's a business, hence it's ok." then we are not only failing the generations after us but also those before us who fought hard to abolish slavery and for the rights and dignity of humanity.

'Best city for expats' but is it the best for Singaporeans?

The Straits Times H14 Forum Page- March 17 2007

A recent study conducted on corruption in Asia revealed that Singapore was the most corruption-free nation in the region. It was hence determined that Singapore is the best city in the World for expatriates. The local newspaper, The Straits Times, proudly trumpeted this "title" on its front page the very same day, it was headline news.

Upon reading that article, I began to wonder if I was reading our The Straits Times or a recent copy of Expat, a magazine that "helps" expatriates settle down by showing them when and where to purchase those luxurious items that they just cannot do without. As a Singaporean for the past 20 years, I did not know whether to feel proud that our country was graft-free or to feel terribly ashame that some people actually think that Singaporeans work so hard and stay corruption-free so that ang mohs can come here to wine and dine (according to the latest Expat magazine, that's what they should do), enjoy our low-crime garden city and whine and gripe about the absence of chewing gum? Of course among themselves, they would never miss the opportunity to criticise us for our capital punishment that was dished out on some of their compatriots for vandalism a few years ago.

Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan raised some very valid points about the lives of lower-income Singaporeans who I'm sad to say find it very difficult to enjoy this 'graft-free Singapore' together with the expatriates. In the article, Dr Huang asked if Singapore was the best city in the world for SINGAPOREANS. I believe I don't have to search hard for Singaporeans who would answer that question with a resounding 'NO'. One needs to look no further than the Singaporean Cabby. I have often met old Singaporean taxi drivers gripe about how meaningless it is to be considered a Singaporean. Yes the country is safe, but the cost of living is certainly too high for them to live comfortably. Some of these drivers are in their 70s and I definitely don't want to be cruising around in Singapore in a blue, yellow or red taxi when I'm 75, trying to put food on the table and make ends meet. Some might say that they are just taxi drivers who are narrow minded and lazy, who constantly gripe about the system. But aren't they Singaporeans too? Does it mean that people who are less educated cannot be considered law-abiding, hard-working, tax-paying Singaporeans? I never knew that the pre-requisite of gaining citizenship in this country required us to all hold degrees.

It was also mentioned that elderly Singaporeans have to compete with foreign-workers for low paying jobs such as cleaners and janitors and that their plight is, according to to our political leaders, 'a result of globalisation'. When I was in primary school, I remembered the local authorities coming up with an exhibit to showcase the history of Singapore. It was called "The Singapore Story". One of the themes that clearly resonated from that showcase was to be "thankful and respectful" to our forefathers and the elderly in our society, for they were the ones who poured blood and sweat to build a Singapore we can all be proud of today. Well, clearly Singapore is today showing her gratitude to all these elderly people.

As I turned the pages of that newspaper I was reading, I could not help but feel sad that our people are being marginalised. As long as the ang mohs are happy in our country, everything is alright, because after all we only need to live up to their standards. It is no wonder that many Singaporeans have forsaken their country in search of greener pastures, they are people who were called "quitters" by the government a few years back. I certainly will not be surprised if more and more Singaporeans feel that it is in their best interest to migrate to other countries where they can enjoy certain privileges they never had here, forfeiting privileges they have so rightfully earned as Singaporeans. After all, their forefathers had to kowtow to the angmohs and foreigners in the early days, so why should they now?

Jail possible for Thai king insult

CNN Website: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/thailand.king.ap/index.html

A Swiss citizen, Oliver Rudolf Jufer, may be facing jail time for desecrating one of Thailand's most revered figures, the King himself. According to his lawyers, Mr. Jufer was "intoxicated" when he committed the crime. He allegedly spray painted a few portraits of the King. By trying to tell the courts that Mr. Jufer was drunk, lawyers are trying to get him off the hook by giving the impression that there was no intention to disrespect the monarchy, that what he did is no different from a drunkard ranting and raving on the street.

I really hope the judge presiding over this case will not be as silly as to acquit Mr. Jufer because he was drunk and did not know what he was doing. I mean, I really wonder how in the world did a drunk manage to get hold of enough black spray paint to desecrate "several" posters of the King? Besides, if he really had no intention of disrespecting the King, why would he repeatedly spray paint the monarchy's poster? Wouldn't he have spray painted other sections of the wall and not specifically target posters of the King?

Many expatriates and tourists, particularly Western ones come to Asia and believe that they can do any damn thing and get away with it because they have the money. I believe that the presiding Judge will dish out a sentence that is harsh enough to send a message out to these expatriates and tourists that just because they're in countries that may not be as well to do as theirs, it does not mean that they can do as they wish! To commit a simple act of folly is excusable after punishment, but for disrespecting the Thai King, a figure who is almost like a demi-god to the Thai people, what punishment is there for that?

Japan PM war slavery denial uncovers old pain

CNN Website: http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/03/03/japan.sexslaves.ap/index.html

Mr. Kaneko, 87, a Japanese Imperial Army veteran who fought in World War II still remembers how he and his fellow comrades raped women during the war. According to him, the cries of their victims "didn't matter" because they "were Imperial soldiers". How is that for proof Prime Minister Shinzo Abe?

Drawing flak from the international community, Mr. Abe has continued to deny the fact that many Asian women were coerced into becoming "comfort women" for the Imperial Army in military brothels. In his attempt to display nationalism and to protect the integrity of his country, Mr. Abe has infuriated many across the world, including their good friend, the United States of America. Even right now, there is talk in Washington that congress will be drafting a resolution to demand an official apology and maybe compensation from Japan for the atrocities they committed during the second World War. If Mr. Abe does not wake up soon and realise the mistake his country has committed, I am afraid he is going to become a "lame duck" just like his American counter-part President Bush among his own people and the international community.

I just don't understand why Japan can't face up to her military past and say a simple "sorry" like how Germany did. If she cannot reconciliate with her past, the future will be very bleak for her too no matter how many new inventions they come up with. I believe that if the world wanted to hold Saddam Hussein, who was recently executed for war-crimes against the Kurds, accountable for atrocities committed against Humanity, Japan likewise must be sanctioned and punished especially if she refuses to admit to her faults.

Abe won't back down

Today Newspaper Pg14
World News:- Japanese PM reiterates that there's no proof of coercion in WWII sexual slavery

After one of his public relations advisers stated that Prime Minister Abe's office stood by an official apology made in 1993 for the Japanese military forcing many Asian women into prostitution, the Prime Minister himself has come out to "reiterate" that there was no concrete proof that there was sexual slavery in WWII. As if we needed him to tell us that.

Similar to his predecessors, Shinzo Abe has come forward to deny the fact that the Japanese military was responsible for sexual assaults unleashed on thousands of Asian women during the Japanese occupation. In the past, Japanese authorities have even gone as far as denying the fact that there was even a war and that war crime charges brought against one of their own are merely lies. It's notorious education department was even reported of blotting out Japan's war history and the atrocities they committed in history textbooks. The less convservative ones admit to it's military history but paint the Japanese as hapless victims fighting to save it's own skin. I must say for a country that has given so much to the world in the form of Sony goods, video games, sushi, sashimi and cheap cars, this is a terrible shame.

The world has constantly condemned those who denied that the Holocaust ever existed. The Germans themselves have come out to make official apologies for their abhorrent act in WWII. But why do the Japanese find it so difficult to admit to their faults and reconcile with the rest of the world, particularly the Asian world as well as their own history? Japan have many things to be proud of. But this is not one of them. In 1993, a member of the Japanese government made an apology for the atrocities committed during the war including coercing women into sexual slavery. I don't know how much effect it had on improving bilateral ties between Japan and other Asian countries but these recent comments from Prime Minister Abe and his predecessor's annual visit to the Yasukuni Shrine to honour war criminals will certainly not help improve any ties.

North Korea pledges to quit nukes

CNN Website:-http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/03/01/nkorea.talks.ap/index.html

In a surprising turn of event, North Korea's No. 2 has pledged to give up the nation's plans to pursue nuclear arms. In a meeting with a South Korean Reunification minister, Mr. Kim Yong Nam, the Vice-President of North Korea stated that this was the dying wish of the founding President of his nation. In return for agreeing to disarm, they will be "rewarded" in the form of aid. Mr. Kim also called for greater cooperation between the North and the South, a move that was seen by a cynical South Korea as an attempt to drive a wedge between the South and Washington.

In a world that is already gripped with chaos and fear of the next world war, North Korea's promise to drop her plans of pursuing nuclear arms will be greeted with a sense of relief not only in the Asia-Pacific region but all over the world. However, it remains to be seen whether North Korea would stick to its promises as her eccentric and "beloved" leader Kim Jong Il is someone whose credibility cannot be counted on. Notorious for his cruel and inhumane treatment of his fellow country-men and subjects, I would not be surprised if Mr. Kim goes back on his country's word regarding this matter.

Already included in America's "Axis of Evil", North Korea will greatly ease the global concerns of another war breaking out. If her resolution to drop all plans for nuclear arms comes to pass, her neighbours China and mainly South Korea have to be greatly lauded for what seemed an impossible task of "coaxing" her into disarming. Asia being a region touted for future greatness, has her future hanging in the balance as the whole world awaits to see if North Korea will keep to her promise. Failure to do might send the region which promises so much in the form of economic growth crashing all the way down.