Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Japan. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Japan's War Reparations:The Mythbuster

Hantu Laut

Nizar, the fallen angel of PAS compromise candidate for Perak MB, has he gone bonkers, or he is just another Pakatan's typical liar? 

It was rumoured that PAS Kelantan had given the DAP head honcho in Perak a joint-venture logging operation in Kelantan as reward and compromise for Nizar to be MB, which makes no sense  at all, as the 'State Constitution' is very clear on a Malay Muslim mandatory appointment  as MB of the state. 

It goes to show that DAP is very clever at arm-twisting. In Penang DAP's Lim Guan Eng hold a tight rein over the state and has little tolerance for opposing views, in Selangor DAP is the fiddler that plays the tune and Khalid Ibrahim dance to it. 

Where did Nizar gets the figure of RM207 billion as Japan's war reparation for Malaysia? Did he not do any homework before he opens his big mouth and embarrass himself and the whole Pakatan's clowns with his piece of fiction.

With today's technology one can research, with caution, any subject matter with just a click of the computer's keyboard. One needs certain amount of intelligence to separate the "wheat from the chaff" or come out looking like an idiot. The Internet is a jungle of worthy and worthless information and a quagmire for the uninitiated. 

Common sense do not prevail in people driven by emotion, they can't make logical progression of things. Nizar, a sore loser fits the bill.

The sum of RM207 billion given by Nizar as compensation agreed upon in 1967 between Japan and Malaysia would have bankrupted Japan before it can even rise from the ashes, which saw the country thoroughly vanquished after World War II.

Malaysia issued its first currency in 1967, replacing the Malaya and British Borneo dollar. The Malaysian dollar, as it was called then, was pegged at exchange rate of 8.57 to the British pound. At the historical exchange rate the RM207 billion would have worth 24 billion Pound Sterling. At current exchange rate it is worth 42 billion Pound. A mind boggling figure for any nation after going through the ravages of war in less than two decades. As victor or the vanquish, the toll on the economy and its peoples would be the same.

It is not possible for Japan to agree on such huge amount as Malaysia was not the only country it has to pay war reparations. The reparations came in the form of grants, write-offs, donations and cash compensations. The amounts are not paid in single payment but over a period.

Below is a chart that shows a more plausible figure of Japan war reparations paid to various countries including Malaysia.


Japan's Records on War Reparations
by Noguchi Hikaru
Japan has not dodged any responsibility for peaceful relations. The general public seems to be ignorant of the fact that Japan has faithfully met, negotiated, and fulfilled rigorous demands on all war-time reparations. Negotiations for post-war reparations started in 1951 and continued until 1977. In all, 54 treaties and agreements were concluded.


It is difficult to simplify the whole picture, but the following table will give you an idea:

Indemnity & grants (in yen, at the time of payment)
Loans (in yen, at the time of payment)
Micronesia
1950
18 billion donated

Myanmar
1955, 1963
72 billion indemnity
50.4 billion grant
18 billion
10.8 billion
Philippines
1956
198 billion indemnity
90 billion
Indonesia
1958
80.3 billion indemnity(+63.7 billion credit write-off)
144 billion
Laos
1958
1 billion grant

Cambodia
1959
1.5 billion grant

Vietnam
1960
14 billion indemnity
6 billion
Korea
1965
108 billion
72 billion
Malaysia
1967
2.9 billion grant

Thailand
15 billion

Taiwan
58 billion

Singapore
1967
2.9 billion grant

Holland
1956
3.6 billion compensation

Switzerland
1955
1.1 billion compensation

Denmark
1955,1959
3 billion compensation
4.23 billion compensation

Sweden
1958
5 billion compensation




Britain & Holland used Japanese assets in neutral countries & funds in Thailand for compensation to POs (but not confiscated Japanese assets in their respective countries)
USA 50 million dollars Japanese assets in USA confiscated Occupation era food and medical aid (GAROIA) and (EROA) paid back, with interest: 580 million dollars 7-year occupation costs paid by Japan
Construction of such economic and social infrastructure in Asia would not have been possible without Japan's ODA. Why was there such a focusing of aid to Asia? It was shaped from an unspoken consensus and desire among the Japanese public, even though our legal obligations had been met, to re-build friendship with our Asian neighbors.The negotiations and implementation of agreements were carried out with sincerity. Payments of reparations, which sometimes exceeded national welfare expenditure, started in 1955, lasted for 23 years, and ended in 1977. The amounts were huge for Japan, compared to the national economy of this period, but they were paid out in good faith. It should be emphasized that how all the money were spent were up to the discretion of the individual governments, beyond the dictates of Japan. Very often the governments chose not to use the funds to compensate individual losses, but instead to improve the general national economy or welfare.
The first country with which Japan concluded an agreement was Myanmar (Burma). A total of about 90 billion yen of indemnity and semi-indemnity were paid out to Myanmar, which was about 9 per cent of Japan's budget. When agreements were concluded with the Philippines, in 1956, Japan's national budget was a little over one trillion yen. Indemnity and semi-indemnity promised to the Philippines totaled 27% of that budget. Similarly, when Korea and Japan reached an agreement in 1965, Japan agreed to pay 180 billion yen (500 million dollars) indemnity and aid. Looking from Korea's point of view, this amount was 1.45 times Korea's national budget, and 3.8 times its foreign reserves. Most of this money was used by the Korean government for the nation's modernization. Korea says that it contributed to 20 per cent of its economic growth between 1966 and 1975, and 8 per cent annually to cover its trade deficit. From 1975, Korea also started compensations to individual citizens for personal losses during the war. However, on the whole, the Korean government chose to use the resources for national prosperity over compensation to private citizens.


Figures are from:
"Sengo Hoshoron wa Machigatte Iru" ( Mistaken Beliefs in Demands for Post-War Reparations)
By OKADA Kunihiro / Published by Japan Policy Institute (Tokyo)

Sankei Newspaper Sept.12th 1994 issue
Spa Magazines Date unknown, 1996 issue
"Kotonaru Higeki Nihon to Doitsu" (Dissimilar Tragedies: Japan & Germany)
By NISHIO Kanji (1994) / Published by Bungei Shunju (Tokyo)

   


There is no need to write prolix article to address this issue, it has be chronicled in the history books .

I rest my case.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Japanese - Coolest People On Earth

Hantu Laut

Watching live over TV the tragic aftermath of the earthquake and tsunamis that hit Japan recently smitten me to see how impassive and dignified the Japanese people are in times of tragedy and tribulations.There was no chaos, no unruliness, no looting and hardly anyone showing state of despair even in the face of such forlorn landscape of brutal destruction.

It's heart-rending and my heart goes out to them.

Even in such great devastation and desperation the Japanese people have been very cool, calm and collected and accepted their fates with quiet dignity.A cultural trait not seen in many other Asian societies.

I remember seeing a footage of the great flood in Pakistan last year and saw how unruly and indiscipline the Pakistanis were when foods were distributed to victims of the flood and the same can be said of Africa and other parts of Asia.

It brought me back to the eighties when I visited Japan quite frequently on business and had good taste of the unique Japanese culture some what different from other parts of Asia.A contemporary hybrid culture that mixes the influences of Asia,Europe and North America.The traditional and the contemporary.

The Japanese are known for perfecting what they copied not only in technology but in social etiquette as well.A fusion culture that have made the Japanese probably the most discipline people on this planet.

Punctuality, which is more peculiar to the West and not your garden-variety in most of Asia is the exception in Japan.The Japanese are now better timekeeper than even the Westerners and frown upon those who are late.Of the many appointments I had with my Japanese clients not in any instance as far as I can remember any of them have been late.They usually called my room at least 15 minutes before the appointed time announcing their presence in the hotel lobby.

For those who have visited Japan they would also have noticed most Japanese would not cross the road if the light is red even if there were no cars, which baffled me on my first visit to Japan, wondering what was wrong with them.

What was wrong?....... it's not with them, it was me, a typical Malaysian alien to a culture of discipline.I soon learn to be like them but only in Japan and reverted to the Malaysian bad habits as soon as I got home.

Tokyo, or any of the big city have little or no street crimes then.I can walk the streets late at night without worrying about being mugged.

In Japan if you forgetfully left your thing any place there is hundred percent chance you'll get it back. I remember once I left my overcoat on a train from Tokyo to Niigata and only remembered hours later.I could not believe that I would ever get it back.Surprisingly, I did, from the Niigata train station.How they knew I disembarked at Niigata is still a mystery to me.

Throughout history Japan has been isolated in one way or another.For hundred of years under the Tokugawa shogunate it kept its doors close to foreigners until abolished by the Meiji restoration period.

The tragic earthquake, tsunamis and a potential radiation fallout from broken reactors will have far-reaching economic repercussions for Japan but with the diligent and positive attitude of the Japanese people it will not be a bridge too far to cross.

Let us hope and pray for the well being of Japan and its people.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Untameable Ferocities Of Mother Nature

Hantu Laut

The recent earthquake that hit Japan and the subsequent tsunamis that unleashed its destructive power showed how powerless humans are when confronted with this most furious of natural disasters.

Unlike the power of wind we have yet to find ways how to predict where and when it will occur.

These are heart-wrenching scenes of the destructive power of nature that human have yet to learn to tame.

A reminder that we are still defenceless against the ferocities of Mother Nature.













Please pray for Japan.