Thaksin Saga in Thailand: Another Round
The national election to be held on Sunday is more likely to muddy than clarify the long-running political drama that has divided the country for more than a decade.
Time to Give Okinawa Its Due
It was 39 years ago today that the people of Okinawa finally escaped from the Pacific War, but they still await a more genuine era of self-determination. The 82-day-long Battle of Okinawa in 1945 was a horror. Something like a quarter of the civilian population ― more than 100,000 by most accounts ― were slaughtered in the crossfire between an alien army determined to conquer them and an Imperial Army that had no intention of protecting them.
Naoto Kan Misses His Moment
Times of tragedy are not something to be welcomed, but they are occasions within which able political leaders can thrive and fulfill their destiny. In ordinary times, of course, it is beneficial to have the coherence and sense of direction that strong leadership can bring, but during a severe national crisis ― when the public is confused and afraid ― these dynamic qualities become little short of necessary. How miserable it is, therefore, that Prime Minister Naoto Kan has signally failed to measure up to the challenge.
March 11 in Tokyo
Footage of the March 11, 2011, earthquake as experienced in the Akasaka district of central Tokyo.
Anti-Base Activists Arrested in Tokyo
Protesters against Okinawa military base treated roughly by police outside US Embassy in Tokyo, including one man pulled across the road by his hair.