World of Opinion
On nationalism and minority groups: We’ve seen it in Tibet and Xinjiang, in Kashmir and Chechnya, and in many other parts of Asia. Minority groups fight for their own cultural, religious and economic interests. They fight for autonomy and independence. Yet they never manage to escape their straight jackets. They call out for attention and support throughout a world rendered accessible by globalization and the information revolution. But they’re kept down by rulers bent on keeping them in the fold. What we’ve seen lately we’ll see again, many times over. …
In Asia, societal tradition is stronger than it is in the West, and individual rights weaker. State sovereignty and isolationism go hand in hand with nation building and nationalism. China has seen only thirty years of continuous nation building since the Gang of Four power struggle and the turbulent years of the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. …
How should we respond to the plight of minority groups in these countries? …
Dialogue is only one of many resources. Economic cooperation is another. … It’s just as important to avoid errors as it is to find new and constructive approaches.
Few things have damaged the cause of human rights so much as the United States’s use of the word “terror” after September 11. This tactic was appropriated across Asia, from Israel to China, from Russia to India, and used to legitimize further state-run oppression of already oppressed ethnic groups.
On education costs in Japan:
As of the end of March, the number of university and senior high school students who had fallen behind in tuition payments stood at 15,000 and 17,000, respectively. While applications for scholarship loans are rapidly rising, there are insufficient bursaries to meet demand. In fiscal 2008, nearly 8,000 university students dropped out for “financial reasons.” …
Tuition has become high. Sending children to a juku cram school is also costly. On top of that, Japan is still grappling with the financial crisis that hit last year. Some students say they were told by their parents to give up on going on to higher education. Some couples are opting not to have children because of the expense.
Public spending on education in Japan represents 3.4 percent of gross domestic product.
The figure is the lowest among industrialized countries.
The idea that education is something for which parents are responsible is deeply rooted in this culture. But, the surge in educational expenses and the widening gap in income of parents are shaking the principle of “equal opportunity of education.” …
Since university-level education imposes a heavy burden on household budgets, we believe more scholarships should be offered that do not require repayment. Job placement support should also be made a priority.
… We also strongly urge the government to implement support measures that do not limit children’s educational opportunities, no matter what financial situation their families face.
It is our responsibility to nurture hope in children. Japan’s future depends on the efforts its people make. We hope this issue will be a topic in the upcoming election.
On China’s economic growth:
Unlike the other big economic powers, China announced that its economic growth accelerated in the second quarter (by 7.9 percent).
This certainly raises some interesting questions: could China become the engine that pulls the world economy on the growth track again? What ever will happen to China’s communist regime?
Despite China’s phenomenal growth during the past decades, it is worthwhile noting that the country’s gross domestic product is still below Japan’s – which has a population ten times less than that of China – the European Union and the United States.
Deliberate (government) decision to enhance and encourage domestic demand is the primary reason why China is sailing against the winds of the current global economic turmoil. The country that has evolved to be the world’s common knitting factory among other industries, has not easily opened up for the idea of itself investing in other nations. …
The main issue is how long can the communist party hide China’s social and environmental problems and keep attention solely on economic growth. China is a big red question mark for the whole world.