World of opinion
On phasing out nuclear energy:
The Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo), Japan’s largest labor organization, in its Oct. 4-5 convention decided to pursue a society that will eventually stop relying on nuclear power. This is a departure from its earlier policy of pushing building of new nuclear power plants. Within Rengo, power company unions that support the promotion of nuclear power are a strong force.
Rengo’s leadership should be praised for correctly understanding the severity of the disaster at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant and responding to the public’s strong call for phasing out nuclear power.
Rengo President Nobuaki Koga told the convention that the Fukushima crisis has made the leadership realize that when an accident happens at a nuclear power plant, it causes enormous damage. Since Rengo is the biggest supporter of the Democratic Party of Japan, it is hoped that its decision will positively affect the DPJ and the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda.
In order to reduce Japan’s dependence on nuclear power, Rengo has proposed securing alternative energy sources that can replace nuclear power, aggressively promoting renewable energy sources and pushing energy-saving measures. As a short-term measure to secure a sufficient supply of energy, Rengo has accepted restarting nuclear power plants currently out of operation on the condition that the government strengthens and verifies their safety and that local people accept their restart.
To realize a non-nuclear society, Rengo should work out a road map that identifies a target year when all the nation’s nuclear power plants would permanently cease operations and submit it to the government. …
Japan Times, Tokyo
On Egypt’s military rule:
The violence unleashed by Egypt’s military against Coptic Christian protesters has cast a pall over the country’s peaceful transition to democracy.
The Supreme Council for the Armed Forces has shown it neither knows how to be a caretaker government, nor is it capable of keeping public order, respecting human rights or protecting religious minorities. It has gone from being viewed as inexperienced and incompetent — to being seen as repressive.
The unarmed demonstrators who gathered on Oct. 9 outside the Cairo offices of the state-run television station were expressing their dismay over the burning of a church in the country’s south. Soldiers shot at the crowd, and charged them in armored vehicles, killing 25 people.
The incident underscores the difficulty of Egypt’s post-revolutionary phase, and the need for the military to step aside. The armed forces were initially viewed as heroes for refusing to shoot on civilians during the momentous uprising earlier this year in Tahrir Square, which brought the 30-year rule of president Hosni Mubarak to an end. But eight months later, the military council has become increasingly authoritarian. It has refused to create a timetable for handing over power to civilians and doesn’t plan to relinquish control to an elected president until 2013 — though at first it pledged to do so in six months. …
The establishment of an elected government would ensure the military goes back to where it belongs: the barracks. The international community — especially the U.S., which gives the military $1.3-billion in annual aid — should pressure the military council to reverse their repressive measures. Egypt’s political parties, which are fielding candidates in parliamentary elections in November, have already made this demand, to no avail. The military should leave governing and public security to others, and allow democracy to flourish.
The Globe and Mail, Toronto
On possible change in Myanmar:
Burma, or Myanmar as it is known these days, is like another planet for much of the international community. What goes on in there is of little interest to the self-appointed movers and shakers of our world. For all practical purposes, Myanmar fell off the world map. The Western powers, ever eager to intervene in countries in the Middle East, have done little more than pay lip service to the long suffering people of the Southeast Asian nation. Maybe because Myanmar doesn’t have oil — at least not enough to invite Western interest.
Myanmar’s Asian neighbors haven’t fared any better. The regional grouping, ASEAN, has scrupulously avoided any references to “internal matters” of the member state for fear of ruffling the junta. Myanmar’s giant neighbors China and India, enjoying robust economic ties and massive clout with Rangoon, too have failed to persuade the generals to mend their ways. The world looked the other way as Myanmar people have lived through a nightmare over the past many decades, especially the last two that saw the incarceration of Aung San Suu Kyi and thousands of her followers.
Today, Suu Kyi is free and her people appear to be on the cusp of a historic change. Myanmar’s rulers have announced amnesty to more than 6,000 prisoners. It’s not clear how many of those would be political prisoners though. Nevertheless, this is a welcome sign and fits in with the pattern of dramatic developments in Rangoon over the past few months. Change seems to have come at last to the impoverished nation sitting on rich natural resources. For which the credit goes to no one but the people of Myanmar. It’s the perseverance and epic sacrifices of Myanmar people and their charismatic leadership. …
Doubtless, these are welcome changes. However, Myanmar has a long way to go before it could claim to be a country that represents and reflects the aspirations of its people. … Cosmetic window-dressing will not bring respite to Myanmar, only real change will.
Arab News, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
On the eurozone crisis:
The eurozone crisis will not be much lessened by the likelihood that the Slovak parliament will now reverse its veto of the euro-bailout plans. The expansion of the European Financial Stability Facility is now likely to go ahead. But the point was well made by Slovak opponents that the deal means poorer eurozone countries bailing out richer ones. As for the argument that it might be preferable for Greece to leave the euro, that is now being voiced far beyond Bratislava.
As matters stand, the bailout fund still needs to be bolstered. And the deal reached in July, the subject of the Slovak vote, has already been overtaken by events. Greek investors will have to take an even bigger haircut on discounting the value of their bonds; as for the bailout facility, it will have to be far bigger. There will be more debates like this one before long.
London Evening Standard