Letters Archives

Thaw On Ice

I find your articles engaging and well analyzed. It is a real pity that just when the long frigid Sino-Japan relationship begins to thaw, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda’s popularity has started to take a southward dip. Confronted by virtually unsolvable problems within his own LDP party as well as the nation at large, Mr. Fukuda’s days seem numbered.

China Ban Regrettable

It is regrettable that the May 2008 issue of the REVIEW has been taken off from newsstands in China. To project alternative views on any particular issue, irrespective of the religion, race and ideology of the reader or writer, is good journalism. Let not the Chinese incident dampen your spirit. Keep up your excellent work.

Ti Han-venn Hong Kong

In her comprehensive article (“China’s Fight for Web Rights,” April 2008) on internet interference in China, Rebecca MacKinnon closed by saying, “the rest of us should not simply sit around and wait” for servers, providers, etc., to do the right thing. I am one of the founders of Pangolin Pol, a listserv for people interested in China. We used to use Yahoo, but after we learned about Yahoo’s complicity with Beijing’s security apparatus we cancelled our arrangement with a letter to Yahoo, explaining why we thought their behavior was wrong. We quickly found another way of linking our 200 members. Anyone can do this whether with Yahoo, Google or Microsoft. Jonathan Mirsky London

Leslie Hook’s essay on Cambodia omits very important things (“Cambodia’s Flawed Search for Justice,” January/February 2008). The U.S. and other Western powers all supported the Khmer Rouge from 1978 until 1989 in their fight against the Cambodian people.

It is absolutely refreshing to read Colum Murphy's penetrating and insightful analysis of the current political situation in precarious and fragmented Pakistan ("Pakistan's Last Bid for Democracy," November 2007). The huge suicide blasts that took away more than 140 lives and injured many more after former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's return in October was a sure warning sign of further aggravation of the already fragile political, social and economic condition in the country. The newly re-elected President Pervez Musharraf is fast losing his people's support, mainly because of his ever-closer affiliation with the United States.

The violent crackdown against peaceful protesters in Burma by that country's military-led government is a blow to the credibility of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It proves the failure the grouping's "constructive engagement" policy toward the isolationist nation.   The leaders of member nations should seriously consider the calls to have Burma suspended or expelled from the grouping during its summit this month.

It is most unfortunate that referendum is fast becoming a new political tool used by fragile governments to consolidate their precarious hold on power. Thailand's military junta appears to be no exception. Coup after coup, constitution after constitution, Thailand's 18 changes of constitution in seven decades (average about one in every four years) would have been considered rather excessive, if not quite unacceptable.

It is ironical that Mr. Sadanand Dhume proposes nationalism as the solution to contain and counter Islamism in Indonesia ("Step Up the Fight Against Islamism,?July/August 2007). The effect of nationalism in nonmulticultural countries has characteristically been unbridled arrogance, cultural fundamentalism, persecution of minorities, mob violence, curtailment of religious freedom and the absence of justice–not quite different from Islamism, right? Only the fostering of universal values of justice, individual rights, freedom, harmony and progress will help stem Islamism and other kinds of cultural fundamentalism that are more dangerous, bigoted and confining than any religious dogma.

I was surprised to see the review publish what amounts to a one-sided slagging off of Hong Kong (?/span>Hong Kong's Arrested Development,?June 2007). The author, Friedrich Wu, fails to identify the four most powerful forces behind Hong Kong's success since its inception. The first three are location, location and location.

The article by Hugo Restall ("China's Bid for Asian Hegemony," May 2007) reflects the typical paranoid thinking of the West whenever China shows signs of bolstering its military muscles. This is preposterous. China's expansion of its navy and air force does not necessarily mean that it is trying to challenge any world power, let alone attempt to replace a world superpower.