Protesters, Police and Diplomacy

It was a beautiful day for a protest. The sun was shining for the first day in what feels like weeks, the smog had lifted, the sky was blue and it wasn't even too hot.

But the demonstration outside the Japanese embassy this morning drew a crowd of scarcely more than a dozen protesters. They were vastly outnumbered by plainclothes police, uniformed police, police cars, vans and buses. I would guess the ratio was around 15 to one. Were the police perhaps overdoing it?

China woke up in a rage, just as furious as it had expected to be after Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine -- as my colleague in Tokyo has described. But official government expressions of anger rather than popular fury seem to be the order of the day.

The protest lasted all of 10 minutes. Perhaps 15 to err on the generous side. After a brief march by the tightly guarded embassy, the group were swiftly dispersed by plainclothes police who materialised from among the very marchers. It was perfectly clear who they were. Almost to a man they sported crew cuts, were tall and very well-built. But the real giveaway came when they emerged from among the group of somewhat younger demonstrators and began shouting: "Disperse", "Disperse."

In back streets, literally dozens of police cars lingered in case of need. If there's one thing China, and its ubiquituous security services, cannot stand it is a loss of control. There was no chance of that this morning.

Anger at Japanese insensivity over a war in which some 35 million Chinese fell casualty was to be tamed this year. Last year, the whole anti-Japanese protests raced out of control and it took the government a long time to calm tempers.

And it's an awfully tricky one to balance. After all, China is eager to voice its outrage and also keen to give people an outlet for discontent over an issue on which both agree. But how to do that without igniting protests that could turn into something really big?

I can't help wondering how the people of France or Belgium would react if Chancellor Angela Merkel were to visit a cemetery containing some memorial that had reference to Adolf Hitler. The thought always gives me a clearer understanding of the depth of Chinese feelings -- and why even the younger generation becomes so incensed.

Perhaps some may think that it's time to let bygones be bygones. For an in-depth Chinese view of the issue, there's an excellent array of reports on China Radio International. And the People's Daily, official mouthpiece of the Communist Party, and the usually somewhat sluggish Xinhua News Agency are providing surprisingly rapid up-to-the-minute reports of the day's events.

Perhaps the government prefers its people to look to traditional media rather than street marches to show their dissatisfaction.

Comments

[zuzu]

A lot of people remember when the former German priminister got on his knees and apologised in front of those who suffered in the Second World War. The Chinese and the Koreans never asked for this kind of gesture from the Japanese, but they surely deserve a decent apology. It was only a little more than half a century ago when millions were killed by the Japanese in the mass murders during the war. Of course the memories are still fresh and the wounds still hurt. Inmagine if the German government denies everything even the very existence of the Concentration Camps? I believe there would be a lot more than just protests in the entire western world. Militarism is deeply rooted in Japanese culture, and a young generation that is educated with the government "modified" history texts will carry on its country's ambition. In the long run, this will become a worry for not only the Asian countries but the entire world.

[chen yongzi]

-I can't help wondering how the people of France or Belgium would react if Chancellor Angela Merkel were to visit a cemetery containing some memorial that had reference to Adolf Hitler. The thought always gives me a clearer understanding of the depth of Chinese feelings -- and why even the younger generation becomes so incensed.

This is the core of matter. Thank you. Furthermore, among the long history over 2000 years, China has not killed a single person on Japan proper. At this point, I can understand our Foreign Minister Mr. Li’s furious reaction last year, - it has nothing to do with political performance, but an real outpouring.

[Ronald]

Considering how the Japanese have wronged the Chinese and Koreans etc... during WWII. Why are Japanese so reluctant to just apologize for their atrocities and end this political issue? Is it "pride", or the honoring of their dead? Perhaps the Chinese and Koreans need to apply some of the tactics the Jews used to convince the Germans.
The world is small, and people must get along. If a small action, or in this case, a "non-action" is all that's required to build better relations - then the price is worth it. For the Japanese to not see the value of this for future generations, then their "pride" has clouded their judgement. To think that they are honoring the "dead", who no longer benefit from "anything", because they are DEAD - is not in any way paying respect. Mr Koizumi, start paying respect to the living for a change.

[Alex]

If you want to know how the people of France or Belgium would react if Chancellor Angela Merkel were to visit a cemetery containing some memorial that had reference to Adolf Hitler,I suggest you encourage her to do that. The fact is no German statesman has ever visited such a site. Here is the core problem. You are talking about "if", we are seeing the fact. It is not journalism. It is hypocracy.

[shine watanabe]

The reference to chanceller Angela Merkel visit to Adolf Hitler cemetary in Germany which were pleased Mr Zuzu are complatly miss place.They do`t understand Japanese custom&manner.In western country you have actual person burried in the cemtory. Nonetheless in Japan they do burn the body &keep the ashes at home or pravit Temple .At Yasukoni Shrine they keep only the names of dead Soldgers,so how you could separat the souls of 2couple of war creminal from 2.5 Million fallen soldger.
shine watanabe

[Xiao Zhu]

The protests that took place in Beijing last year followed a prolonged focus on the issue in the media. I remember that there were daily reports which criticised Japan. After being subjected to such reports on a daily basis, no wonder the Chinese people were furious. Japan definitely needs to do something to bridge the gap between itself and China. But the Chinese people need to avoid being manipulated by their government. The matador waves a red flag and what happens? The bull is the one that eventually gets stabbed to death.

[Jane Macartney]

Alex, no such site is known to exist.

[Jack Thursby]

Koizumi is obviously caught between a rock and a hard place. Koizumi must continue to go, as he can't been seen to back down to China / Korea, but he also wants to stabilise relations with them.
When he resigns in a few months, his successor will not visit the shrine. China and Korea will welcome this, but without making him appear weak.
Problem Solved

[Dean]

The Japanese are stupid in that matter of fact. They believe that when someone dies, all is forgiven. They don't have gods, they worship their dead, so if you can call them something then just plain ignorant. And to visit that shrine on that day is plain provocation. Remember that no member of the royal family in Japan has ever visited that shrine. They just want to show their strength. Quite frankly thats scary!!!

[Alber Ding]

I just wonder why US President Mr Bush or other leaders of the western powers never criticise Koizumi's visit to that Shrine in which 14 class A war criminals are honoured. If Merkel did something similar ,what will westerners respond? Aug.15 is a special day to the Asians who suffered a lot during World WarII, I think Koizumi's visit has insulted the whole Chinese and Korean.

[Anon]

How would the Japanese government and its people react if George W Bush was to visit a site commemorating the act of dropping 2 nuclear bombs on Japan? Enough said.

[Raj]

If there was a big central cemetary in Germany (like Yasukuni) that had senior Nazis there, I don't think I would mind if Angela Merkel went there - especially if she said she didn't honour war criminals.

Japan has apologised to all of the countries involved in the war. No government has ever said what was insufficient in any of the past statements made. If they don't come out and directly say how it should be phrased, no one will believe they'll ever be satisfied.

[Anonymous]

Well, if i was Koizumi. All you will need to say to China, is it's japan's internal problem, keep out. It's a common thing that the chinese always say, when you raise issues about Tibet, Xinjiang(Eatern Turkistan) Taiwan and Inner Mongolia. And why doesn't China analyse it's own history, didn't Chairman Mao kill more of his own people during the cultural revolution (approximatley 20-30 million people) , than the japanese did in WW2. Again, this is China's internal problems, keep out!!!! Or is it just a way for the government to keep its attention from its own shadow

[Michael]

What I've been wondering is, if one of the perpetrators of the Me Lai massacre had been killed in combat before being arrested, what would have been expected of the Wall? Would the Vietnamese government have demanded the removal of his name? Protested whenever the President visited the memorial? Or would they have been ok with it so long as he was just another name on the wall, nothing more? Would the response have been consistent, or based on their relations with the American government at that point in time?

These aren't rhetorical questions. From what I've heard, the Yasukuni shrine goes far beyond mere names on a wall, it actively glorifies the war. If that's correct, the Koreans and Chinese may have a legitimate grievance over the Prime Minister's visits. At the same time, though, why didn't we hear anything about this in the West prior to Koizumi's visits (aside from simple ignorance, that is)?

Have the Chinese and Korean governments been protesting the Shrine's glorification all along, ramping up their outrage with the PM's visits? Or is this outrage fed as much by territorial disputes and domestic politics than by memory and morality?

[Chris]

Why shouldn't they remember there war dead? Most of them were no different to the allied soldiers, they were sent to fight in a war they didn't understand and they did as they were told or be shot for desertion. Families lost there fathers, brothers etc just as our families did. The average Japanese person is no different than us, they don't want or agree with wars. Let me ask one question, since the second world wars which country/s have and still are asserted there self righteousness wars onto other countries, not to mention killing of innocent civilians (which is incidently called collateral damage these days because were the ones "in the right")?

[D. Zhou]

"when you raise issues about Tibet, Xinjiang(Eatern Turkistan) Taiwan and Inner Mongolia. And why doesn't China analyse it's own history..." Indeed, these are all China's own history, and territory centries.

As for Chris, unfortunately you got the point wrong. Koizumi have paid respect to the listed war criminals who were responsible for the nasty invasions and that's why Chinese and Korean people feel so strongly about it.