The United States' confrontational attitude toward China on human rights serves only its national interests, and it also harms global governance and the cause of international human rights, China's top human rights researchers, Liu Hainian, director of the human rights research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said.
In a news conference in Beijing on Monday that was organized by State Council Information Office, four human rights researchers from think tanks and a university criticized the US for duplicity on the human rights issue.
The US, 10 other Western countries and Japan released a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday. The statement expressed their concerns over what it called "the deteriorating human rights record" in China, saying that Beijing has not only contravened its own laws but also breached its commitments to the international community.
'Selective blindness'
Liu Hainian, director of the human rights research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US is selectively blind to its own human rights problems, as well those of its allies, in racial and gender discrimination, gun violence, the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and illegal monitoring of citizens' private activities.
"The US' invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and its subversive movements in North Africa and the Middle East, directly harm local residents' human rights," said Liu.
The UN replaced the former Commission on Human Rights with the current Human Rights Council in 2006 to promote joint efforts in human rights protection and to avoid politicizing such efforts. Since then, the US has attempted 11 times to pass an anti-China resolution in the council. But all of these attempts have failed because of opposition from most member states.
'Cold War mindset'
"The US regards human rights as a political and diplomatic tool to realize its own purposes, as it did toward the Soviet Union after World War II," said Chang Jian, director of the human rights research center at Nankai University in Tianjin. "The Cold War strategy and mindset are outdated. The decline of its national power, especially in comparison with China, makes the US decision-makers nervous and they resort to their old tricks," Chang added.
Liu Huawen, a researcher of international law at CASS, said, "China is committed to peaceful development, constantly improving its human rights conditions and strengthening dialogue and cooperation with the other countries on human rights.
"But the US stands on the wrong side of history," he added. "What it wants is confrontation. The US has not yet signed some UN treaties in protecting children's, women's and disabled people's rights. It is ridiculous that it still plays the role of a judge of international human rights."
Li Yunlun, a professor of international studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, said: "China faces up to its problems in human rights. China's poverty alleviation project will help the poorest citizens, and the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), if it comes true, will see comprehensive progress in China's human rights.
Working under the Kempeitai in Penang during WWII haunts James Jeremiah to this day.
While filming an episode of Jeremiah brought
the crew back to the Wesley Methodist Church in Penang, where he would
hear the screams of those torutured there by the Japanese. He had not
been back to the church in over 70 years. — HAFrIZ IQBAL/ r. AGE
STARING out to sea on Fort Cornwallis, James Jeremiah cuts a lonely figure.
“Before the fighting started, we were so excited to shoot the Japanese. We had never seen war; we had only seen it in the movies,” said Jeremiah. “But the first time I heard a real bomb, I was scared to death.”
That was at the old Bayan Lepas Airport, where Jeremiah witnessed the beginning of the Japanese invasion of Penang. He was 18 at the time, and a member of the Eurasian “E” company of Penang, a volunteer force similar to the British Home Guard.
“We thought the Japanese would fly in from Batu Maung in the south, but they came in through Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi. I think they knew we were focused on the south.”
The tactic worked. The volunteers mistook the Japanese planes for British fighters, a mistake that almost cost them their lives.
“They turned out to be Japanese Zero fighters. They starting bombing and machine gunning us. Shrapnel was flying everywhere. I cannot even describe the fear we had in our hearts.”
Although they were trained to some extent, the Volunteer Forces ( VF) were not hardened military men.
After the bombing, it was only a matter of time before Japanese ground troops arrived.
Even then, the volunteer forces regrouped at their headquarters on Peel Avenue, and did their best to maintain order.
With the British gone and the Japanese at their doorstep, people were looting ruined houses and bodies were strewn everywhere from the bombing.
“We carried the dead bodies away, assisted the wounded and stopped all looters.
“It’s no joke when you’re in that situation – we just didn’t know what to do,” said Jeremiah.
Things quickly got worse when the Japanese arrived. The Volunteer Forces were rounded up, and the Europeans and fairskinned Eurasians were sent to Singapore to be held as prisoners of war.
“My father had rather dark skin, which I inherited. I think it saved my life!” said Jeremiah.
The remaining VF members were used by the Japanese as guides. Jeremiah’s work ethic as a guide caught the eye of a member of the Kempeitai, the feared Japanese military police.
“Colonel Watanabe took me to his office and asked what work I could do, so I said anything. He asked me to make tea, coffee, polish his boots – things like that.”
The Kempeitai office was located in the Wesley Methodist Church on Jalan Burma. Although he was a mere office boy, the experience was terrifying.
He still lives on Penang island today, a mere 20 minutes from the church – but he has never gone back to the church in over 70 years, until he brought R. AGE there last month to shoot an episode of The Last Survivors ( rage. com. my/ lastsurvivors).
“I used to see people being arrested. I don’t know how, but they were ‘ interrogated’. I used to hear screams, cries... I couldn’t take it,” he said in the video, which is part of a series documenting the stories of Malaysia’s WWII survivors.
Although the brutality of the Kempeitai has haunted many, including Jeremiah, not all the Japanese were cruel overlords.
Watanabe was educated in the United States, and he saved Jeremiah’s life a few times.
The Japanese would hold “trials” at public spaces – including Padang Kota Lama next to Fort Cornwallis – where their local informants would expose other locals who were working against the Japanese.
“( The informants) wore hoods when they pointed people out. The minute they point at you, you’re finished, gone,” said Jeremiah. “The Japanese would round up the public so the informants could point people out.”
Jeremiah thanks Watanabe for saving him from attending the trials, where he believes he could easily have been singled out for execution. “Watanabe protected me. I was so lucky, he was very good to me.”
Some of the informants flaunted their special privilege with the Japanese, according to Jeremiah.
“They would say ‘ don’t mess with us’, so we kept quiet. I remember a famous Eurasian doctor, Doctor J. E. Smith, who was done in by them and, I think, beheaded.”
Even with Watanabe’s protection, the atrocities being committed at the Kempeitai office was too much for Jeremiah to bear, and he asked to be transfered to the railways. The colonel relunctantly agreed.
Watanabe continued showing kindness to Jeremiah even after he started work as a locomotive driver, putting in a good word to his new boss and General Yamashita himself, the mastermind behind the invasion of Malaya. Yamashita had defeated the combined Australian, British and Indian force of 130,000 soldiers with just 30,000 troops.
“Yamashita was riding the train along with Tadashi Suzuki ( an infamous samurai sword- wielding executioner), but I couldn’t understand what they were saying as it was in Japanese,” said Jeremiah. “They noticed that my new boss’ boots were shining, and Watanabe said I was the one who polished them.”
The general made a lasting impression on young Jeremiah, who said the very sight of him made everyone afraid.
“He was very fierce and very dynamic, though very big and chubby. Everyone was afraid. I didn’t dare look him in the eye.”
While many struggled for food during the Occupation, Jeremiah said he was lucky to be paid in both “banana money” – the Japanese currency – and food.
“I used to get about 30 dollars a week, sometimes more. I saved the bread for my parents and if I wanted an egg, I’d ask Watanabe.”
Had he been caught smuggling eggs, the colonel would have beheaded him.
The horrors of the Occupation were a far cry from his pre- war days.
Jeremiah was rotated around a few places, including Fort Auchry ( now a Malaysian army camp), Fort Cornwallis and Batu Maung.
He remembers watching the Europeans and Eurasians boarding ships at Swettenham Pier heading to Singapore, where they believed they would be safe. Winston Churchill had insisted Singapore would not fall.
He was also posted at Batu Maung, a British fort which the Japanese turned into a torture chamber.
He brought the Last Survivors crew there during filming. The original fort remains, but the land is now a privately owned museumcum- theme park, with plastic “ghosts” hanging everywhere and a paintball field attached.
“Everything has changed,” said Jeremiah with a laugh. “I don’t remember any of this being here!”
Jeremiah spent the rest of the war as a locomotive driver. After the war, he worked at the Batu Ferringhi reservoir, where he would retire as a superintendent.
While he experienced many horrors during the war, something beautiful did come out of it. He met his late wife, a former Miss Thailand, during his time on the railways.
“I travelled all the way to Bangkok after the war to find her,” said Jeremiah with a wide smile.
“All I had was her name, as her letters never had a return address.”
Though he lives on, happily surrounded by his children and grandchildren, Jeremiah said young Malaysians need to find out about their grandparents’ experiences.
“War is something that hurts everyone – it’s not like what you see in the movies. They should find out; they need to be told what happened.”
Today, he has outlived all 18 members of the “E” Company, all five of his siblings, and one of his children.
“All my friends and colleagues are now gone. I am the last survivor.”
Japanese Occupation survivors tell their stories
Feb 16, 2012 ... “The Japanese need to formally acknowledge and admit they committed
atrocious crimes during the Japanese occupation of Malaya, and not ...
Nanjing Massacre remembered!
Dec 15, 2011 ... Events were staged Tuesday to remember the victims of the Nanjing massacre
on its 74th anniversary. Occupied by Japanese troops on Dec.
Great contribution from the Chinese: UN Chief Praises WW2 parade...
Sep 6, 2015 ... UN chief praises parade, China's great contribution. The world has been saying
about Beijing's grand military parade on Thursday, held to mark the 70thanniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese ....
Labels: 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War , China's ...
Sep 3, 2015 ...China holds parade, vows peace on war anniversary ... Japanese Aggression (
1937-45) and the end of World War II, China ... The events ended with 10 air
force formations flying over the square and ... Tomorrow, China will be holding a
military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in...
PETALING JAYA: Stories of Malaysia’s World War II survivors have been coming in from across the country since R.AGE kicked off The Last Survivors, an online interactive video project.
The project aims to get young Malaysians to explore the country’s WWII history through the eyes of its survivors, in line with the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 22.
While some submissions were from the grandchildren or children of survivors, others were written by the survivors themselves.
For example, John Robson, 84, said he started working when he was nine because of the war. He narrowly escaped execution after a bag of rice went missing at his workplace at the Tapah Road railway station.
“The Japanese captain slapped and kicked me. Then he went to his room and came out with his sword. The lorry driver and I were shivering,” Robson recounted.
“I cried and begged for forgiveness. I peed in my pants! Luckily, the captain believed me because he saw how scared I was and let me go with a warning.”
Another survivor, Lim Chung Bee, 93, was held captive in Japan from 1942 to 1946. His daughter Doreen Lim e-mailed R.AGE.
“He was 17 years old then and he experienced it all as a Japanese prisoner of war working in the copper mines for four years,” said Doreen.
“I’ve found photos of him when he and other British soldiers were captured in Java in 1941.”
R.AGE also produced a mini-documentary series on several WWII survivors.
Ethelin Teo, 85, was featured in episode three. She spoke of how she was almost taken as a comfort woman during the Japanese occupation of Kuantan.
Teo was 13 when the Japanese invaded Kuantan. She recalled how Teluk Cempedak, now a popular beach, was used as a killing field and mass grave.
Watch The Last Survivors and read all the WWII stories contributed by the public at age.com.my.
Nanjing Massacre remembered!
Dec 15, 2011 ... Events were staged Tuesday to remember the victims of the Nanjing massacre
on its 74th anniversary. Occupied by Japanese troops on Dec.
Great contribution from the Chinese: UN Chief Praises WW2 parade...
Sep 6, 2015 ... UN chief praises parade, China's great contribution. The world has been saying
about Beijing's grand military parade on Thursday, held to mark the 70thanniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese ....
Labels: 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War , China's ...
Sep 3, 2015 ...China holds parade, vows peace on war anniversary ... Japanese Aggression (
1937-45) and the end of World War II, China ... The events ended with 10 air
force formations flying over the square and ... Tomorrow, China will be holding a
military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in...
NOW that Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year are over, many of us have started to reconcile the amount spent for these celebrations.
Not surprisingly, many have underestimated the current cost of living and have therefore overspent.
Hence, it did not come as a surprise to me when I overheard one of my relatives saying that the price of an eight-course Chinese New Year package at the restaurant that she often frequents has increased by 15% from RM898++ to RM1,028++ within a year. Not only has the price increased, she also noticed the serving portions were smaller than the previous year.
The rising cost of living caused by the depreciating ringgit, hike in transportation costs, the goods and services tax implementation, etc, was the hottest topic of discussion during these festive gatherings. Among the various counter-measures, some young ones welcomed the option to reduce the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, citing that it would help relieve their burden.
The reduction in EPF contribution came about early this year when the Government announced that employees had the option to reduce their EPF contribution by 3% from March 2016 until December 2017 to spur economic growth and at the same time, put more money into the rakyat’s pockets. According to our Prime Minister who is also the Finance Minister, this move is expected to increase consumer spending by RM8bil a year.
It sounds good as we now have the option to have more disposable income. Yet, should we encourage spending or saving during this challenging time.
Before answering this question, let’s ask ourselves what we should do with the extra disposable income. Repay credit card instalments, go after items such as expensive household goods, electronic gadgets or gourmet food?
If we are not careful, we will end up spending based on our desire instead of necessity. Hence, having more money to spend is not necessarily good. It depends on how we plan our future finances, and whether we spend the money on “good debt” or “bad debt” as explained in my previous articles.
If we unnecessarily spend the additional income on luxury goods such as a new car which depreciates over time, we are practically paying for “bad debt”, as these items are liabilities instead of assets.
In contrast, if we convert the additional income into “good debt” such as investing in commodities/ shares or to fund our housing loan, we can enjoy the long-term benefits as the value of these assets will likely appreciate over time.
At a glance, 3% taken out from the EPF per month may not be seen as a lot. However, it will become a significant amount in the long term.
For an individual earning RM5,000 a month, 3% equals to RM150. As such, the total amount is RM3,300 for the duration of 22 months (March 2016 to December 2017). Assuming the average EPF interest rate at 6.5% per year (based on the dividend declared this year), the compounding rate for RM3,300 could potentially become RM23,190.64 after 30 years!
Therefore, unless there are really good reasons to use this additional disposable income, it is better to retain this seemingly small amount as retirement funds, giving its potential to grow significantly in the longer term. Besides, the savings in the EPF can also be withdrawn during rainy days to fund the payment for children’s education, purchase a new home and payment of medical expenses for treatment of critical illnesses.
At this testing time when many are faced with the burden of rising costs and economic slowdown, it is important to resist the temptation of instant gratification, be prudent in spending, and be able to differentiate between “good debt” and “bad debt” in making financial decisions.
For those who have yet to opt out from reducing the EPF contribution from 11% to 8%, it is important to use the additional money wisely so as to ensure that your retirement fund is not affected. Every ringgit saved or invested is essential in making a difference in our future financial position.
When I was a kid, my parents encouraged me and my siblings to save. Each of us would have our own piggy banks and they would continue to remind us about the beauty of saving. Until today, I still like this Malay proverb – ‘Sedikit, sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit’ (little by little, a little becomes a lot).
Datuk Alan Tong has over 50 years of experience in property development. He is the group chairman of Bukit Kiara Properties. For feedback, please email feedback@fiabci-asiapacific.com.
Feb 16, 2016 ... It is therefore crucial to invest to fight inflation especially monetary ... Datuk AlanTong has over 50 years of experience in property development.
PETALING JAYA: When his son left him at a bus station, John (not his real name) waited patiently for him to return. Five hours later, he was still waiting. Passers-by noticed him and called the police.
The 72-year-old man has dementia and was sent to hospital. Medical social workers managed to get him to recall his son’s telephone number.
When they called John’s son, he did not want to take his father home.
People like John are vulnerable to abuse and neglect, and he is not eligible for government shelter for the elderly because he still has a family.
John is among many Malaysian elderly folk who are facing abuse and neglect. According to a study, one in 10 urban elderly Malaysian is abused, with financial abuse being the most common.
The survey by a team of researchers from the Department of Social and Preventative Medicine under Universiti Malaya’s Medical Faculty said psychological abuse was the next most common followed by physical abuse.
“A pilot survey was done among the urban poor in Kuala Lumpur in 2012 involving 291 individuals above the age of 60. There were elders living in low-cost government-subsidised flats. Of the total, 9.6% said they experienced one or more forms of abuse within the last 12 months of the survey,” said Dr Noran Naqiah Hairi.
Dr Noran is leading the Prevent Elder Abuse and Neglect Initiative (Peace) with her colleague Dr Clare Choo.
The team also found that one in 20 rural elders have experienced abuse based on a survey they did among 2,000 respondents in Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan.
The most common abuse reported among rural elders is psychological followed by financial.
Anita (not her real name) is a subject of financial abuse. As she has arthritis, she found it difficult to go to the bank. Her son persuaded the 68-year-old retired clerk to give him the authority to handle her finances.
Soon after, he got his widowed mother to sign over her house to him.
“I didn’t want to, but I was bullied into signing my house over. He kept accusing me of not trusting him.
“At first, everything was all right. But then he began investing my money in all kinds of ventures. I have no say in what he does with my money. When I ask him, it gets unpleasant.
“But I am worried what will happen when my money runs out,” laments Anita, who lives with her son in Petaling Jaya.
Still, she would never report her son because elder abuse is not a topic Malaysians discuss openly.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun admits that reported figures do not paint the actual picture.
“These are only the cases that come to us. There may be more that we do not know of,” she said.
Most of elder abuse cases go unreported as many see it as a “family problem” which can be dealt with behind closed doors.
Only 23 cases of elder abuse and neglect were reported in the past three years, according to statistics from the ministry.
The study, however, shows it is far more prevalent.
“The Peace study is the first of its kind in Malaysia and it corroborates prevalence rates of elder abuse and neglect in other Asian countries which range from 14% to 27.5%,” added Dr Noran.
Ponzi schemes and modern finance Andrew
Sheng says when the originator of a scheme to pass on debt to others is
also ‘too big to fail’ – ...
