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Web-only Exclusives November 30, 2000 From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead Bad news for the Philippines - and some others From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights? |
LETTERS AND COMMENT
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WHEN JOHN WOO MOVED to Hollywood, there was no doubt in my mind that he was destined to become its best action director [CINEMA, Aug. 29]. Just as Nomo Hideo stormed the American baseball scene, Woo has become a symbol of the hidden talents of Asia. He has raised the artistic consciousness of U.S.-centric producers from total ignorance of Asian culture and talent to a new level. The new question among them is: "Now that we know they make movies in Asia, too, who is the next John Woo?" Too bad, Manila's Lino Brocka [died 1995] would have been a good reply.
Thads Bentulan
Hong Kong
Man of Peace?
I WAS INTRIGUED BY "To Mr. Prabhakaran" [LETTERS & COMMENT, Aug. 15]. Reading between the lines, I see it as nothing less than a eulogy of Mr. [Velupillai] Prabhakaran. That he "has projected the aspirations of his people" is patently false. The peace initiative of 1995 did not only bring dividends to Colombo. It enabled the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to rearm. A Sydney newspaper recently carried an article titled "Reign of Terror by Sri Lanka's Pol Pot." It talks about the "Tamil godfather" who "reads Phantom comics while planning campaigns of murder and torture in his quest to rule a third of the country."Why should anyone speak to a person who has been compared with Pol Pot? How could it be this man is thinking of peace? Is it because, militarily, the LTTE is on the back foot? There is a strong rumor circulating here in Australia that his emissaries have been to South Africa and Libya attempting to obtain political asylum for him. Also, funds were being collected here to buy SAM missiles. The federal government put a stop to it.
Cuda Bibile
Carlingford, New South Wales
Australia
Going Offshore
ANTHONY SALIM'S STATEMENT THAT the Salim Group is not worried about Indonesia's political situation is questionable ["Hot Noodle Take-Away: Indofood's Singapore plans worry Indonesians," BUSINESS, Aug. 22]. With so many anti-Chinese riots happening recently, the statement looks to be an attempt to please Indonesians and to prevent more sentiment against Chinese in the future.
Intan Wahyuni
via the Internet
Writing on the Wall
YOU MAKE A CASE for better relations between India and Pakistan in "A Golden Opportunity" [COVER, Aug. 8], but I wonder to what extent it can be achieved. The people had not wanted partition in the first place; it had been imposed by unfeeling politicians who wanted positions of power in the new countries. The British played a dirty joke by dividing the country before they were thrown out and gave us a parting gift of a lifetime of enmity with our neighbors.The question now is: If the country could be divided against the wishes of the people in 1947, will their wishes be respected in 1997? If anything, the number of players who have vested interests in the continuing hostility has only increased over the years.
Politicians are still as power hungry as they were in 1947, but now there are other factors as well. Among them: the arms vendors of Western nations, countries nearer to home who would like to keep us disunited, smugglers, drug runners, religious fanatics and a host of others whose livelihoods depend on keeping the nations apart. Will the our leaders rise above these interests? Will they read the writing on the wall and end the hostility of 50 years?
Dinesh Kumar
Chandigarh
India
Who China Fears
THE REAL ISSUE NOW is not whether Asia fears China, but China's fear of the American and Japanese military buildup [COVER, Aug. 1]. The only countries that feel uneasy about China will be in Southeast Asia. Yet, in China's history, it has had little interest in getting even an inch of land from Southeast Asia.With 1.2 billion people, China's military budget is low compared with Southeast Asian countries, let alone the military giants, including Japan. The real danger for Asia is the Western countries and their alliance, NATO. Strengthening friendship within Asia will benefit every country. Otherwise, Asia will be the loser.
Shi Lei
Southampton Oceanography Center
Britain
Ban This Obsession
AT FIRST, THE IDEA of children being responsible for a Tamagotchi and enjoying learning from it seemed great ["Tamagotchi Madness," SOCIETY, July 25]. But the craze, which has infected most Asian children, is not one of the better ideas for teaching kids values. This tiny electronic device becomes a distraction, then an obsession. I am pleased that some in our societies have realized the destructiveness of this Tamagotchi hype and have banned these pets from schools.
Christopher Ang
Manila
Inside Sugar-Free Foods
"SWEET BY ANY OTHER Name" [HEALTH, July 18] is not entirely correct. Aspartame (better known as NutraSweet) is not an artificial sweetener since it is made from components found in natural foods. As such, aspartame does not endanger health. Exhaustive research conducted in the U.S. has proven its safety beyond reasonable doubt for human consumption, even when used during pregnancy, as well as its nutritional benefits. Your reported amount for the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 5 mg per kilogram body weight for aspartame is incorrect. The ADI recommended by the WHO Joint Expert Committee for Food Addition is 40 mg per kilogram body weight for aspartame. The important point is that aspartame should not be regarded in the same light as saccharin and other artificial sweeteners.
Dr. Edmund K. Li
Department of Medicine
Prince of Wales Hospital
Hong Kong
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