The shallows –
a crane’s thighs splashed
in cool waves
(Basho)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Moriya's bribery, Japan's Lockheed syndrome!
I played golf more than 200 times with defense contractors, what's wrong with that?
[Moriya grilled at Japanese Diet]
During World War I, in 1915, at the Parliament in Paris, French president Raymond Poincaré said in a message to elected representatives: "Soldiers Devotion Reflects People's Spirit". Today, adjusting our focus on current events, it appears that Moriya scandal is neither an extraordinary demonstration of patriotism nor a strong indication of the unanimity of all defense personal and high ranking officials; the risk is to diminish every faith and shade of political belief of the Japanese military personal and citizens.
Former top Defense Ministry bureaucrat Takemasa Moriya and his wife were arrested Wednesday for accepting bribes from a former executive of a defense contractor, prosecutors said. Moriya's fall, is he the only involved? Not from judging from his surroundings. Moriya held various posts in the defense ministry and was vice defense minister from August 2003 to August this year. He took bribes from defense contractors, also linked are American defense companies. What exists behind this new scandal that some people compare to the Lockheed scandal of 1976? I'd like to hear short time Defense minister Koike Yuriko who in summer had a hard time to try to fire Moriya, How unthankful she was kicked out by Fukuda administration.
Interview Koike Yuriko about the Moriya scandal, published Oct 31 in Shukan. Quotes:
Q. Shukan "The guy whom you fought is now accused of having improper ties with a defense trading company.
A. Koike I think I was right to change the personnel system in the Defence Ministry. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and defense officials recently told me that if Moriya were still in power, the Defense Ministry would have even more trouble. They thanked me for kicking him out, but it was not soon enough, I guess.
Q. Shukan Did you kick him out because you knew of his scandals?
A. Koike I had heard rumors about Moriya's collusion with corporations before. A Shukan Post article about him published on August reminded me of the Okamitsu case (*). However, I didn't have any evidence to accuse him at that time. Now it's all becoming public. Duringmy tenure, I was mainly concerned with plugging leaks of high-level military information from inside the ministry. I thought th ebest way to do that would be to reform the ministerial structure. That's why I moved Moriya out. I think my decision was right."
For the time being facts from local news are that Japanese prosecutors arrested former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya on suspicion he accepted bribes from Motonobu Miyazaki, former executive of defense contractor Yamada Corp. who was charged with embezzlement. Moriya has admitted going on golf trips, paid for by Yamada Corp., which violated defense ministry ethical rules. He had denied doing any favors for defense equipment traders over procurement of U.S. engines for the next-generation CX aircraft despite admitting to having kept "inappropriately" cozy ties with Japanese businessmen.
"It's extremely regrettable that the arrest may cause the public to lose trust in Japan's defenses,'' Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said. "We must promote reform of the defense ministry so this will never happen again.'' As always, but never realized. Moriya said in testimony to parliament on Oct. 29 he played golf more than 200 times in 11 years until April this year with Miyazaki.
Under ethics rules introduced in 2000, defense ministry officials are banned from playing golf with contractors. Moriya told legislators he often took his wife, used false names and paid golf fees that were lower than normal to Miyazaki. Moriya and his wife Sachiko Moriya accepted golf trips worth 3.89 million yen ($36,000) at courses in Hokkaido from Miyazaki as rewards for "carrying out favors" on Yamada's behalf for the procurement and delivery of defense equipment, the prosecution statement said.
[Ex Vice Minister of Japanese Defense Agency Takemasa Moriya (R) and Chinese PLA Assistant to the Chief of General Staff Zhang Qinsheng, Tokyo, Nov. 2006]
Japanese endemic corruption? Not more than anywhere else, so, is it linked to the post war history? Here is what Hokkaido university Professor Yamaguchi Jiro has to say:
(Photo from FCCJ Kobayashi Michiyo)
"The postwar policy system combined evils such as endemic corruption, inefficiency and waste, with a concern for equality and for the weak and the regions. Koizumi's structural reforms smashed the 'vested rights' of politicians and bureaucrats and promoted policy efficiency; but they also had a serious impact on people and regions that had enjoyed protection under the policies in place until then. Resistance to this continues to threaten the LDP. The opposition is gathering popular support by persistently questioning the harmful effects of the structural reforms. Faced with the contradictory vectors of inheriting the Koizumi government's success or correcting its evils, the LDP is irresolute. There is no clear-cut course for post-Koizumi politics."
(Statement in November issue of the journal Ronza. Yamaguchi Jiro is Professor of Public Administration at the Graduate School of Law, Hokkaido University).
Next? Based on the parliament political blockade ingeniously set by opposition leader Ozawa Ichiro, the question is to know if a general election ought to clear the situation. This is the question I asked to LDP Chief and Prime Minister Fukuda and to ex-LDP chief candidate Aso Taro, as seen on NHK TV and commercial TV channels, here is my quote published in the Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun:
"小沢民主党代表の方が首相にふさわしいと感じる国民もいる。年内にも解散総選挙で民意を問うべきでは」と質問したのは、仏ＲＴＬ放送のジョエル・ルジャンドル・小泉特派員だ。「自民党は国民にもっと寄り添い、年金や教育が関心事なのだということに早く気づくべきだ".
One last word quoted from Shisaku blog:
"In his heart and mind, Moriya Takemasa did not only believe he was not guilty of any wrongdoing, he believed himself not even guilty of demonstrating poor judgment in creating the appearance of wrongdoing.It almost certainly never crossed his mind."
NB: What was Japan Lockheed bribery scandals? (Click the title to access archives)
Quotes: "The Lockheed Scandal of 1976 involved political donations paid by the American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed to Japanese and other politicians in return for aid in selling planes to various purchasers, including the Japanese All Nippon Airways. The scandal forced the Japanese prime minister Tanaka Kakuei, who received a donation of US $3 million, to resign. In the Netherlands, the "Lockheed scandal" related to the purchase of F-104G Starfighters for the airforce in which Prince Bernhard was implicated in charges of receiving bribes from Lockheed in order to ensure the aircraft would win out over the Mirage V for the purchase contract". (In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia)
"The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of illegal bribes and contributions made by Lockheed officials from the late 1950s to the 1970s. In late 1975 and early 1976, a sub-committee of the U.S. Senate led by Senator Frank Church concluded that members of the Lockheed board had paid members of friendly governments to guarantee contracts for military aircraft[3]. In 1976, it was publicly revealed that Lockheed had paid $22 million in bribes to foreign officials[4] in the process of negotiating the sale of aircraft including the F-104 Starfighter, the so-called "Deal of the Century".
The scandal caused considerable political controversy in West Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. In the U.S. the scandal nearly led to the ailing corporation's downfall, as it was already struggling due to the commercial failure of the L-1011 airliner. Trading firm Marubeni, sizing up the situation, informed Lockheed that a front door approach had a very low probability of success and advised that surreptitious strategies ought to be considered. Lockheed turned to its in-house covert specialist, Yoshio Kodama, for ideas.
Kodama had been a secret agent for Lockheed since 1969 and had helped the firm with a number of military sales to Japan. He was the long-standing Kuromaku of the Hatoyama-Kishi side of domestic politics".
(Click the title to access the full story of Steven Hunziker and Ikuro Kamimura.)
Well, er, I'd say: It is a systematic risk...
[Moriya grilled at Japanese Diet]
During World War I, in 1915, at the Parliament in Paris, French president Raymond Poincaré said in a message to elected representatives: "Soldiers Devotion Reflects People's Spirit". Today, adjusting our focus on current events, it appears that Moriya scandal is neither an extraordinary demonstration of patriotism nor a strong indication of the unanimity of all defense personal and high ranking officials; the risk is to diminish every faith and shade of political belief of the Japanese military personal and citizens.
Former top Defense Ministry bureaucrat Takemasa Moriya and his wife were arrested Wednesday for accepting bribes from a former executive of a defense contractor, prosecutors said. Moriya's fall, is he the only involved? Not from judging from his surroundings. Moriya held various posts in the defense ministry and was vice defense minister from August 2003 to August this year. He took bribes from defense contractors, also linked are American defense companies. What exists behind this new scandal that some people compare to the Lockheed scandal of 1976? I'd like to hear short time Defense minister Koike Yuriko who in summer had a hard time to try to fire Moriya, How unthankful she was kicked out by Fukuda administration.
Interview Koike Yuriko about the Moriya scandal, published Oct 31 in Shukan. Quotes:
Q. Shukan "The guy whom you fought is now accused of having improper ties with a defense trading company.
A. Koike I think I was right to change the personnel system in the Defence Ministry. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and defense officials recently told me that if Moriya were still in power, the Defense Ministry would have even more trouble. They thanked me for kicking him out, but it was not soon enough, I guess.
Q. Shukan Did you kick him out because you knew of his scandals?
A. Koike I had heard rumors about Moriya's collusion with corporations before. A Shukan Post article about him published on August reminded me of the Okamitsu case (*). However, I didn't have any evidence to accuse him at that time. Now it's all becoming public. Duringmy tenure, I was mainly concerned with plugging leaks of high-level military information from inside the ministry. I thought th ebest way to do that would be to reform the ministerial structure. That's why I moved Moriya out. I think my decision was right."
For the time being facts from local news are that Japanese prosecutors arrested former Vice Defense Minister Takemasa Moriya on suspicion he accepted bribes from Motonobu Miyazaki, former executive of defense contractor Yamada Corp. who was charged with embezzlement. Moriya has admitted going on golf trips, paid for by Yamada Corp., which violated defense ministry ethical rules. He had denied doing any favors for defense equipment traders over procurement of U.S. engines for the next-generation CX aircraft despite admitting to having kept "inappropriately" cozy ties with Japanese businessmen.
"It's extremely regrettable that the arrest may cause the public to lose trust in Japan's defenses,'' Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said. "We must promote reform of the defense ministry so this will never happen again.'' As always, but never realized. Moriya said in testimony to parliament on Oct. 29 he played golf more than 200 times in 11 years until April this year with Miyazaki.
Under ethics rules introduced in 2000, defense ministry officials are banned from playing golf with contractors. Moriya told legislators he often took his wife, used false names and paid golf fees that were lower than normal to Miyazaki. Moriya and his wife Sachiko Moriya accepted golf trips worth 3.89 million yen ($36,000) at courses in Hokkaido from Miyazaki as rewards for "carrying out favors" on Yamada's behalf for the procurement and delivery of defense equipment, the prosecution statement said.
[Ex Vice Minister of Japanese Defense Agency Takemasa Moriya (R) and Chinese PLA Assistant to the Chief of General Staff Zhang Qinsheng, Tokyo, Nov. 2006]
Japanese endemic corruption? Not more than anywhere else, so, is it linked to the post war history? Here is what Hokkaido university Professor Yamaguchi Jiro has to say:
(Photo from FCCJ Kobayashi Michiyo)
"The postwar policy system combined evils such as endemic corruption, inefficiency and waste, with a concern for equality and for the weak and the regions. Koizumi's structural reforms smashed the 'vested rights' of politicians and bureaucrats and promoted policy efficiency; but they also had a serious impact on people and regions that had enjoyed protection under the policies in place until then. Resistance to this continues to threaten the LDP. The opposition is gathering popular support by persistently questioning the harmful effects of the structural reforms. Faced with the contradictory vectors of inheriting the Koizumi government's success or correcting its evils, the LDP is irresolute. There is no clear-cut course for post-Koizumi politics."
(Statement in November issue of the journal Ronza. Yamaguchi Jiro is Professor of Public Administration at the Graduate School of Law, Hokkaido University).
Next? Based on the parliament political blockade ingeniously set by opposition leader Ozawa Ichiro, the question is to know if a general election ought to clear the situation. This is the question I asked to LDP Chief and Prime Minister Fukuda and to ex-LDP chief candidate Aso Taro, as seen on NHK TV and commercial TV channels, here is my quote published in the Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun:
"小沢民主党代表の方が首相にふさわしいと感じる国民もいる。年内にも解散総選挙で民意を問うべきでは」と質問したのは、仏ＲＴＬ放送のジョエル・ルジャンドル・小泉特派員だ。「自民党は国民にもっと寄り添い、年金や教育が関心事なのだということに早く気づくべきだ".
One last word quoted from Shisaku blog:
"In his heart and mind, Moriya Takemasa did not only believe he was not guilty of any wrongdoing, he believed himself not even guilty of demonstrating poor judgment in creating the appearance of wrongdoing.It almost certainly never crossed his mind."
NB: What was Japan Lockheed bribery scandals? (Click the title to access archives)
Quotes: "The Lockheed Scandal of 1976 involved political donations paid by the American aircraft manufacturer Lockheed to Japanese and other politicians in return for aid in selling planes to various purchasers, including the Japanese All Nippon Airways. The scandal forced the Japanese prime minister Tanaka Kakuei, who received a donation of US $3 million, to resign. In the Netherlands, the "Lockheed scandal" related to the purchase of F-104G Starfighters for the airforce in which Prince Bernhard was implicated in charges of receiving bribes from Lockheed in order to ensure the aircraft would win out over the Mirage V for the purchase contract". (In Encyclopedia of Modern Asia)
"The Lockheed bribery scandals encompassed a series of illegal bribes and contributions made by Lockheed officials from the late 1950s to the 1970s. In late 1975 and early 1976, a sub-committee of the U.S. Senate led by Senator Frank Church concluded that members of the Lockheed board had paid members of friendly governments to guarantee contracts for military aircraft[3]. In 1976, it was publicly revealed that Lockheed had paid $22 million in bribes to foreign officials[4] in the process of negotiating the sale of aircraft including the F-104 Starfighter, the so-called "Deal of the Century".
The scandal caused considerable political controversy in West Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. In the U.S. the scandal nearly led to the ailing corporation's downfall, as it was already struggling due to the commercial failure of the L-1011 airliner. Trading firm Marubeni, sizing up the situation, informed Lockheed that a front door approach had a very low probability of success and advised that surreptitious strategies ought to be considered. Lockheed turned to its in-house covert specialist, Yoshio Kodama, for ideas.
Kodama had been a secret agent for Lockheed since 1969 and had helped the firm with a number of military sales to Japan. He was the long-standing Kuromaku of the Hatoyama-Kishi side of domestic politics".
(Click the title to access the full story of Steven Hunziker and Ikuro Kamimura.)
Well, er, I'd say: It is a systematic risk...
Monday, November 26, 2007
La longue marche de Nicolas Sarkozy...
...Yuan Renminbi, gros contrats, environnement, Iran,
droits de l'Homme, armement. Moins de flagorneries
culturelles chez Sarkozy vis a vis de la Chine, et
davantage de logique pour des dossiers pris a bras le
corps. Question: Les Chinois (les japonais aussi)
savent-ils respecter un accord et se soucient-ils
vraiment de ce que pensent les autres, de la libre
entreprise, de la démocratie?
Les chinois de l'ethnie majoritaire Han sont-ils
incapables d'offrir une vision bien "harmonisée" avec
les vues occidentales au-delà de la logorrhée
habituelle sur les droits de l'homme, des minorités, si
difficilement conciliable avec la politique du parti
unique et d'assimilation forcée et pratiquée depuis un
demi siècle par la Chine communiste, par exemple, au
Tibet? Guère différente des massacres pratiqués dans
les années de guerre civile par les armées sanguinaires
de Chiang Kai-shek qui brûlaient vifs les réformateurs
et les communistes de Shanghai dans des locomotives.
Ainsi des heurts ont de nouveau secoué, ces derniers
jours, la turbulente et proclamée région autonome.
Quatre Tibétains ont été condamnés mardi à des peines
de prison allant jusqu'à dix ans ferme, pour des
activités indépendantistes. Paris contrainte de
rappeler devant tous que Taiwan fait parti du
territoire chinois, c'est un nouveau grand écart
inconfortable, encore. Pourtant Sarko a mis les points
sur les "i":
[Nicolas Sarkozy, Xian]
"La croissance chinoise ne doit pas et ne peut pas se
faire au prix d'une dégradation de l'environnement
mondial, de l'épuisement des ressources naturelles,
d'un réchauffement accéléré de la planète", a déclaré
le président français. "Je souhaite convaincre la
Chine d'accorder à la question de l'environnement et
du changement climatique une priorité comparable à la
nôtre". Il a estimé qu'il fallait inventer pour la
Chine, "dès le départ", un "modèle de croissance
durable". Le président français a appelé la Chine à
"prendre toute sa part" dans la résolution des grandes
questions internationales. "Je pense à la Birmanie où
j'ai demandé à la Chine de s'engager vigoureusement.
Nous avons besoin de la Chine au sujet de l'Iran, du
Darfour, de la Corée du Nord. Nous avons besoin de la
Chine pour trouver des solutions aux problèmes
globaux". Une visite avec à la clé € 15 a 20 milliards
en contrats dont des Airbus et du nucléaire.
[Délégation devant le musée de soldats Terracotta, Xian]
On parle donc beaucoup d'environnement à l'occasion de
la visite chinoise de N. Sarkozy, j'ai bien aimé le livre
de Christian Gerondeau : "Ecologie, la grande arnaque"
chez Albin Michel. Parfois les chiffres cités donnent le
vertige. 2800 milliards de tonnes de gaz carbonique
dans l'atmosphère terrestre avec 30 milliards de tonnes
émises chaque année. 4000 milliards de tonnes en 2050,
3900 milliards seulement si réduction de 10% des émissions.
Enormément de détails, chiffres, rappels, 11.500 tonnes
de CO2 par minute émis par la Chine (20 % du total
mondial, 7% à l'Inde). Les illusions des
biocarburants. L'abominable pollution du charbon qui
risque de défigurer l'Asie...
Vu la "frénésie" de la demande et "l 'appel d'air" du
capitalisme à la chinoise, les nouveaux consommateurs
chinois sont loin de se casser la tête sur ces
questions dit-on, mais pourtant c'est bien le manque de
discipline politique des autorités centrales et
provinciales à l'égard de leurs industriels et de leurs
potentats locaux qui pose problème. Moins de 300
millions de chinois nouvellement enrichis sur 1,3
milliards vont ils mettre en péril le fragile
équilibre? La chine continue d'être un immense
laboratoire.
[Couverture de Blood Brothers, de Bertill Linner]
Toujours en suivant cette visite Sarkozienne chinoise,
je suis retombé sur un livre (en anglais cette fois)
"Blood Brothers, the criminal underworld of Asia" de
notre excellent collègue Bertill Lintner paru chez
Palgrave Mac Millan. Le titre balaie des décennies de
l'histoire Asiatique, gros plan sur les mafias et leurs
chefs, leurs organisations. J'avais parlé de Bertill
sur l'un de mes blogs d'Asian Gazette il y a plusieurs
années. Son bouquin est passionnant et effrayant. De
quoi dissuader pas mal d'investissements.
Enfin, pour savoir ce que les chinois de la presse
officielle pensent de la visite Sarkozy en Chine,
cliquer le titre pour accéder au papier du China Daily.
Une citation, en anglais: "Sarkozy visit marks new
phase in relations": "Like their counterparts
throughout the world, French conglomerates investing in
China are not free of risks and challenges. The great
majority of French businesses find their China
operations contributing less than 5 percent of their
total business volume nowadays. It is mainly caused by
structural problems in industries and trade rather than
intellectual property rights protection and
restrictions on technology transfer..."
NB: Selon les chiffres officiels, la part de marché de la France en Chine plafonne à 1,43%, avec un déficit bilatéral de 13,8 milliards d'euros. La France est le 8e client de la Chine et son 16e fournisseur.
Last but not least: Un peu d'humour chinois, une
réplique de visage de femme de la dynastie Han (206 av
JC - 220 ap JC) est offerte au président français
Sarkozy. Visage ou visages, masque ou ombres?
Tout cela en attendant les JO de Pékin en 2008 dont
voici les mascottes:
UPDATE: Reçu du service de presse d'Areva l'annonce des contrats Areva - CGNPC.
"Un "montant inégalé de grands contrats", aux dires mêmes de Nicolas Sarkozy: le président a fait lundi une moisson record de contrats avec la Chine à hauteur de plus de 20 milliards d'euros, soit le double de ce qu'anticipait la presse économique ces derniers jours. Areva vendra notamment à Pékin deux réacteurs EPR et Airbus 160 avions A320 et A330.
"Nous sommes à environ 20 milliards d'euros de contrats", soit "un montant inégalé de grands contrats", s'est félicité Nicolas Sarkozy lors d'une déclaration avec son homologue chinois Hu Jintao au Grand palais du peuple de Pékin, au deuxième jour de sa visite en Chine. Un peu avant, les deux dirigeants avaient présidé à une cérémonie de signature de contrats. La presse n'a pas été autorisée à poser de questions lors de cette réunion, faute de temps officiellement. Le groupe nucléaire Areva fournira au premier électricien nucléaire chinois, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corps (CGNPC), deux réacteurs EPR de troisième génération. Ils seront livrés fin 2013 début 2014 sur le site de Taishan, dans le sud-est de la Chine, près de Macao. Montant de la facture pour Pékin: 8 milliards d'euros. Cet accord prévoit également la fourniture du combustible uranium pour faire fonctionner les deux réacteurs jusqu'en 2026.
Fait rare, la majeure partie de ce contrat historique pour le groupe d'Anne Lauvergeon sera "payée en euros", sauf le volet uranium qui sera libellé en dollars. "Nous n'avons pas de risques de change, c'est une première", s'est félicitée la patronne d'Areva, qui fait partie de la délégation d'une quarantaine de grands patrons qui accompagnent Nicolas Sarkozy. Areva pourrait travailler à la construction d'ici deux ou trois ans en Chine d'une usine de retraitement d'uranium pour près de 15 milliards d'euros. "Mais on ne signe pas de contrat aujourd'hui", a précisé Anne Lauvergeon. Au total, c'est le "plus gros contrat que l'industrie nucléaire civile ait jamais conclu", a-t-elle salué sur RTL. Une revanche pour Areva, qui s'était fait souffler quatre réacteurs de troisième génération par l'Américain Westinghouse en 2006. La Chine envisage de construire 32 centrales nucléaires d'ici 2020. Le groupe EDF sera étroitement associé au contrat d'Areva, puisqu'il va prendre près de 30% de la filiale franco-chinoise qui sera créée pour exploiter les deux EPR. "Nous allons avec CGNPC, notre partenaire depuis vingt ans, créer une filiale pour construire et exploiter" ces deux réacteurs, a expliqué à la presse le PDG d'EDF Pierre Gadonneix, aussi présent en Chine.
Deuxième grand gagnant, Airbus a vendu 160 nouveaux avions à la Chine, dont 110 A320 et 50 A330. Montant: dix milliards d'euros selon l'Elysée, 17 milliards de dollars selon Airbus qui précise qu'il s'agit d'un prix catalogue. En 2005 et 2006, Airbus avait déjà vendu 300 A320 à Pékin. "C'est une réussite", s'est réjoui Louis Gallois, PDG d'EADS, maison-mère d'Airbus. Il a précisé qu'un accord industriel permettra à la Chine d'être partenaire à hauteur de 5% du futur A350. Enfin, "quelques éléments" sur des hélicoptères pourraient être annoncés mardi à Shanghaï, où le président français achèvera sa visite officielle de trois jours en Chine. Le marché chinois est actuellement dominé par le concurrent américain d'Airbus, Boeing.
Outre Areva et Airbus, la France obtenait plusieurs autres contrats: Alcatel a noué un accord de 750 millions d'euros avec China Mobile, Alstom de 43 millions d'euros pour la signalisation du métro de Shanghaï, Eurocopter de 80 millions d'euros pour dix hélicoptères EC-155, et Natixis de 60 millions d'euros. Soit au total, selon les calculs de l'Elysée, 19 milliards d'euros de contrats, auxquels s'ajoute 1,2 milliard d'euros d'investissements en Chine de plusieurs groupes dont EDF ou Sanofi-Aventis." (Agences)
droits de l'Homme, armement. Moins de flagorneries
culturelles chez Sarkozy vis a vis de la Chine, et
davantage de logique pour des dossiers pris a bras le
corps. Question: Les Chinois (les japonais aussi)
savent-ils respecter un accord et se soucient-ils
vraiment de ce que pensent les autres, de la libre
entreprise, de la démocratie?
Les chinois de l'ethnie majoritaire Han sont-ils
incapables d'offrir une vision bien "harmonisée" avec
les vues occidentales au-delà de la logorrhée
habituelle sur les droits de l'homme, des minorités, si
difficilement conciliable avec la politique du parti
unique et d'assimilation forcée et pratiquée depuis un
demi siècle par la Chine communiste, par exemple, au
Tibet? Guère différente des massacres pratiqués dans
les années de guerre civile par les armées sanguinaires
de Chiang Kai-shek qui brûlaient vifs les réformateurs
et les communistes de Shanghai dans des locomotives.
Ainsi des heurts ont de nouveau secoué, ces derniers
jours, la turbulente et proclamée région autonome.
Quatre Tibétains ont été condamnés mardi à des peines
de prison allant jusqu'à dix ans ferme, pour des
activités indépendantistes. Paris contrainte de
rappeler devant tous que Taiwan fait parti du
territoire chinois, c'est un nouveau grand écart
inconfortable, encore. Pourtant Sarko a mis les points
sur les "i":
[Nicolas Sarkozy, Xian]
"La croissance chinoise ne doit pas et ne peut pas se
faire au prix d'une dégradation de l'environnement
mondial, de l'épuisement des ressources naturelles,
d'un réchauffement accéléré de la planète", a déclaré
le président français. "Je souhaite convaincre la
Chine d'accorder à la question de l'environnement et
du changement climatique une priorité comparable à la
nôtre". Il a estimé qu'il fallait inventer pour la
Chine, "dès le départ", un "modèle de croissance
durable". Le président français a appelé la Chine à
"prendre toute sa part" dans la résolution des grandes
questions internationales. "Je pense à la Birmanie où
j'ai demandé à la Chine de s'engager vigoureusement.
Nous avons besoin de la Chine au sujet de l'Iran, du
Darfour, de la Corée du Nord. Nous avons besoin de la
Chine pour trouver des solutions aux problèmes
globaux". Une visite avec à la clé € 15 a 20 milliards
en contrats dont des Airbus et du nucléaire.
[Délégation devant le musée de soldats Terracotta, Xian]
On parle donc beaucoup d'environnement à l'occasion de
la visite chinoise de N. Sarkozy, j'ai bien aimé le livre
de Christian Gerondeau : "Ecologie, la grande arnaque"
chez Albin Michel. Parfois les chiffres cités donnent le
vertige. 2800 milliards de tonnes de gaz carbonique
dans l'atmosphère terrestre avec 30 milliards de tonnes
émises chaque année. 4000 milliards de tonnes en 2050,
3900 milliards seulement si réduction de 10% des émissions.
Enormément de détails, chiffres, rappels, 11.500 tonnes
de CO2 par minute émis par la Chine (20 % du total
mondial, 7% à l'Inde). Les illusions des
biocarburants. L'abominable pollution du charbon qui
risque de défigurer l'Asie...
Vu la "frénésie" de la demande et "l 'appel d'air" du
capitalisme à la chinoise, les nouveaux consommateurs
chinois sont loin de se casser la tête sur ces
questions dit-on, mais pourtant c'est bien le manque de
discipline politique des autorités centrales et
provinciales à l'égard de leurs industriels et de leurs
potentats locaux qui pose problème. Moins de 300
millions de chinois nouvellement enrichis sur 1,3
milliards vont ils mettre en péril le fragile
équilibre? La chine continue d'être un immense
laboratoire.
[Couverture de Blood Brothers, de Bertill Linner]
Toujours en suivant cette visite Sarkozienne chinoise,
je suis retombé sur un livre (en anglais cette fois)
"Blood Brothers, the criminal underworld of Asia" de
notre excellent collègue Bertill Lintner paru chez
Palgrave Mac Millan. Le titre balaie des décennies de
l'histoire Asiatique, gros plan sur les mafias et leurs
chefs, leurs organisations. J'avais parlé de Bertill
sur l'un de mes blogs d'Asian Gazette il y a plusieurs
années. Son bouquin est passionnant et effrayant. De
quoi dissuader pas mal d'investissements.
Enfin, pour savoir ce que les chinois de la presse
officielle pensent de la visite Sarkozy en Chine,
cliquer le titre pour accéder au papier du China Daily.
Une citation, en anglais: "Sarkozy visit marks new
phase in relations": "Like their counterparts
throughout the world, French conglomerates investing in
China are not free of risks and challenges. The great
majority of French businesses find their China
operations contributing less than 5 percent of their
total business volume nowadays. It is mainly caused by
structural problems in industries and trade rather than
intellectual property rights protection and
restrictions on technology transfer..."
NB: Selon les chiffres officiels, la part de marché de la France en Chine plafonne à 1,43%, avec un déficit bilatéral de 13,8 milliards d'euros. La France est le 8e client de la Chine et son 16e fournisseur.
Last but not least: Un peu d'humour chinois, une
réplique de visage de femme de la dynastie Han (206 av
JC - 220 ap JC) est offerte au président français
Sarkozy. Visage ou visages, masque ou ombres?
Tout cela en attendant les JO de Pékin en 2008 dont
voici les mascottes:
UPDATE: Reçu du service de presse d'Areva l'annonce des contrats Areva - CGNPC.
"Un "montant inégalé de grands contrats", aux dires mêmes de Nicolas Sarkozy: le président a fait lundi une moisson record de contrats avec la Chine à hauteur de plus de 20 milliards d'euros, soit le double de ce qu'anticipait la presse économique ces derniers jours. Areva vendra notamment à Pékin deux réacteurs EPR et Airbus 160 avions A320 et A330.
"Nous sommes à environ 20 milliards d'euros de contrats", soit "un montant inégalé de grands contrats", s'est félicité Nicolas Sarkozy lors d'une déclaration avec son homologue chinois Hu Jintao au Grand palais du peuple de Pékin, au deuxième jour de sa visite en Chine. Un peu avant, les deux dirigeants avaient présidé à une cérémonie de signature de contrats. La presse n'a pas été autorisée à poser de questions lors de cette réunion, faute de temps officiellement. Le groupe nucléaire Areva fournira au premier électricien nucléaire chinois, China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corps (CGNPC), deux réacteurs EPR de troisième génération. Ils seront livrés fin 2013 début 2014 sur le site de Taishan, dans le sud-est de la Chine, près de Macao. Montant de la facture pour Pékin: 8 milliards d'euros. Cet accord prévoit également la fourniture du combustible uranium pour faire fonctionner les deux réacteurs jusqu'en 2026.
Fait rare, la majeure partie de ce contrat historique pour le groupe d'Anne Lauvergeon sera "payée en euros", sauf le volet uranium qui sera libellé en dollars. "Nous n'avons pas de risques de change, c'est une première", s'est félicitée la patronne d'Areva, qui fait partie de la délégation d'une quarantaine de grands patrons qui accompagnent Nicolas Sarkozy. Areva pourrait travailler à la construction d'ici deux ou trois ans en Chine d'une usine de retraitement d'uranium pour près de 15 milliards d'euros. "Mais on ne signe pas de contrat aujourd'hui", a précisé Anne Lauvergeon. Au total, c'est le "plus gros contrat que l'industrie nucléaire civile ait jamais conclu", a-t-elle salué sur RTL. Une revanche pour Areva, qui s'était fait souffler quatre réacteurs de troisième génération par l'Américain Westinghouse en 2006. La Chine envisage de construire 32 centrales nucléaires d'ici 2020. Le groupe EDF sera étroitement associé au contrat d'Areva, puisqu'il va prendre près de 30% de la filiale franco-chinoise qui sera créée pour exploiter les deux EPR. "Nous allons avec CGNPC, notre partenaire depuis vingt ans, créer une filiale pour construire et exploiter" ces deux réacteurs, a expliqué à la presse le PDG d'EDF Pierre Gadonneix, aussi présent en Chine.
Deuxième grand gagnant, Airbus a vendu 160 nouveaux avions à la Chine, dont 110 A320 et 50 A330. Montant: dix milliards d'euros selon l'Elysée, 17 milliards de dollars selon Airbus qui précise qu'il s'agit d'un prix catalogue. En 2005 et 2006, Airbus avait déjà vendu 300 A320 à Pékin. "C'est une réussite", s'est réjoui Louis Gallois, PDG d'EADS, maison-mère d'Airbus. Il a précisé qu'un accord industriel permettra à la Chine d'être partenaire à hauteur de 5% du futur A350. Enfin, "quelques éléments" sur des hélicoptères pourraient être annoncés mardi à Shanghaï, où le président français achèvera sa visite officielle de trois jours en Chine. Le marché chinois est actuellement dominé par le concurrent américain d'Airbus, Boeing.
Outre Areva et Airbus, la France obtenait plusieurs autres contrats: Alcatel a noué un accord de 750 millions d'euros avec China Mobile, Alstom de 43 millions d'euros pour la signalisation du métro de Shanghaï, Eurocopter de 80 millions d'euros pour dix hélicoptères EC-155, et Natixis de 60 millions d'euros. Soit au total, selon les calculs de l'Elysée, 19 milliards d'euros de contrats, auxquels s'ajoute 1,2 milliard d'euros d'investissements en Chine de plusieurs groupes dont EDF ou Sanofi-Aventis." (Agences)
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Michelin Japon: Bibendum fait des jaloux.
Quelle excitation chez les japonais, Bibendum est ici, et je couvre le sujet pour RTL. Jean Luc Naret, directeur des guides Michelin (cartes et guides) et la sympathique Fabienne de Brebisson, Vice présidente Media relation, me font une présentation au micro alors que plus de 300 journalistes et 18 chaînes de télévisions japonaises font le pied de grue pour s'offrir le patron des Michelin.
C'est vrai que l'édition japonaise du célèbre Guide Michelin est fascinante, première édition pour 2008 qui octroie plus d'étoiles à la capitale nippone qu'à celle de la France et décerne 191 étoiles à 150 restaurants de Tokyo. Jusqu'ici, Paris était la ville la plus récompensée, avec 65 étoiles. Ce sont 8 restaurants de la capitale japonaise, dont deux spécialisés dans le sushis, qui ont reçu la récompense la plus élevée, les trois étoiles. (Paris peut toutefois toujours s'enorgueillir d'être la ville la plus cotée, avec dix restaurants à trois étoiles.) "Tokyo est une étoile brillante dans le monde de la cuisine", m'a déclaré le directeur des Guides Michelin, Jean-Luc Naret, lors d'une conférence de presse à Tokyo lundi, jour de la parution de l'édition nippone du guide. La mégapole japonaise est devenue "le leader mondial dans le dîner gourmet".
Trois inspecteurs européens et deux japonais ont passé un an et demi à visiter incognito 1.500 des 160.000 restaurants recensés à Tokyo pour attribuer les récompenses, selon Michelin. Le guide du groupe classe les établissements sur l'excellence de leurs plats, service, décor et tenue. "Ces inspecteurs ont découvert tellement de bons restaurants que tous les établissements qui figurent dans le guide de Tokyo compte au moins une étoile, une première dans le monde", selon Jean-Luc Naret.
Hamadaya à Nihombashi, Kanda à Azabu et Joël Robuchon à Ebisu, trois perles et donc 3 étoiles au Michelin. Le seul japonais que j'ai trouvé grognon lors de cette distribution des prix Bibendum est le critique gastronomique Hattori Yukio. Bizarre dans un pays qui adore la compétition au point de l'avoir érigée en méthode de perfectionnement (maternelle, université, profession) et il a vite quitté la splendide réception donnée au Tokyo International Forum de Yutakucho à deux pas de mon press club..
"C'est un prix de l'arrogance et de la "self-estime" me dit-il. Bon, c'est vrai que ce guide lui prend une part de marché... D'autres chefs m'ont dit ce soir que cette poignée d'étoiles Michelin n'était qu'un geste fait pour faire plaisir aux chefs japonais de la gastronomie française. Le "food business" comme me le rappelait l'un d'entre eux génère chaque année des milliards de yen de revenus.
Prix de l'arrogance? Ou plutôt la rage du jaloux, jaloux tout rouge comme ces cuistots australiens ou américains avec leurs "viande hachée frites" et certains de mes confrères américains oeuvrant pour leur nationalisme alimentaire made in US-OGM. Hattori bouillonne, lui qui lance un jour des éloges à la gastronomie française et le lendemain la conspue et prime la cuisine italienne...
Le guide dresse également une liste des meilleurs hôtels, et des célèbres Tofu-ya (fabricant de fromage de soja). On peut tirer la toque à tous ces inspecteurs qui ont lancé le premier boulet dans le paysage gastronomique et hôtelier nippon vu et interprété tout de même selon l'art de vivre à la française...
NB: I suspected that our Japanese friends would not appreciate the selection of the restaurants made by the Guide Rouge Michelin, and it is clearly what sweats in the Yomiuri shimbun, the world biggest sold newspaper. The critical article of the Japanese conservative newspaper runs in the Editorial National page of the English version of the Daily Yomiuri while it is in the Culture page on the web page. Click the article title or copy and paste this URL:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/features/culture/20071123TDY04303.htm
Look, fingerprint and don't smile!
Every country is heading towards such a system and truly there is a bad feeling, "un malaise", in some particular countries, where nationalism (xenophobia some say) fits security and police enforcement mania. Example was given this week in Japan who began taking fingerprints and photographs of foreign nationals aged 16 or older, at their entry at its 27 airports and 126 seaports nationwide. It is a revised immigration law as part of antiterrorism measures.
[The photo demonstrates that Japan always uses women in case of crisis management]
Foreigners who are terrorists or just foreigners who overstayed their visa, I wonder? I have no appetite to fly with such mad men but I wonder what will happen in a country like Japan who loves monitoring its population and has a bad trend to consider foreigners like potential criminals... Lately even Japanese policemen are allegedly obliged to carry with them a GPS device to inform their superiors of their gestures and moves, after some insensitive cops were allegedly found harassing teen agers and sometimes, as in one case, committed a "crime passionel"!
But, is it efficient and well set? Here again time will say and our Japanese hosts will maybe improve the system. "Kaizen desu". Indeed as one of the French consulate official told me: " The problem lays with what to do with a fingerprints data base" and he added that the problem is to know if this data base will be adequate and technically adapted to the mission.
Now facts from agencies and complaints from residents and humanitarian organizations:
Quotes: "The Justice Ministry has instructed regional immigration bureaus to forcibly take fingerprints from foreigners who refuse to be fingerprinted or to leave the country, sources close to the ministry said. The ministry's Immigration Bureau sent the directive to regional immigration bureaus prior to the introduction of a system on Tuesday, under which all foreigners who enter Japan, except for a limited number of people such as special permanent residents and visitors under the age of 16, must be photographed and fingerprinted at airports and ports.
The ministry HAD explained that it HAD no intention of forcibly taking fingerprints from foreigners who visit Japan. The directive cites a clause in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, which empowers immigration officers to conduct body checks on foreign visitors if such measures are necessary for safety reasons. It then urges immigration officers to forcibly take fingerprints from those who refuse to cooperate and film them on video.
Japan became the second country after the United States to introduce the system that collects biometric data from foreign visitors amid lingering calls for a review by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and human right groups that claim the data could be made available for criminal investigations on an unlimited basis. Entering foreign visitors must show their passports and submit entry cards before they are guided by immigration officials to have their face pictures taken and index fingers scanned.
The revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law was enacted in May last year in a bid to block entry into Japan mainly of individuals designated as terrorists by the justice minister. Under the law, scanned fingerprints and other biometric data will be stored in a computer to be instantly checked against those of past deportees, in addition to about 800,000-900,000 pieces of information relating to suspects wanted by the Japanese police and Interpol. The measure excludes ethnic Koreans and other permanent residents with special status, those under 16, those visiting Japan for diplomatic or official purposes, and those invited by the Japanese government.
Meanwhile, a total of 67 civic groups in and out of Japan released a joint statement Monday opposing Japan's biometric screening of foreigners entering the country that started Tuesday morning. Representatives of the groups including those from Japan, Europe and the United States said at a news conference in Tokyo they have mailed the joint statement to Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama. Adopting the procedures of taking fingerprints and photos of foreign passport holders aged 16 or older was a highly political decision taken after almost no public discussion or policy reviews, the statement says. It added that the policy treats all foreign visitors to Japan as if they were criminals and that collecting their personal information under a centralized management system could pose risks of violating privacy. The joint statement was compiled by Privacy International, a nongovernmental organization headquartered in Britain." End of quotes (Agencies)
[The photo demonstrates that Japan always uses women in case of crisis management]
Foreigners who are terrorists or just foreigners who overstayed their visa, I wonder? I have no appetite to fly with such mad men but I wonder what will happen in a country like Japan who loves monitoring its population and has a bad trend to consider foreigners like potential criminals... Lately even Japanese policemen are allegedly obliged to carry with them a GPS device to inform their superiors of their gestures and moves, after some insensitive cops were allegedly found harassing teen agers and sometimes, as in one case, committed a "crime passionel"!
But, is it efficient and well set? Here again time will say and our Japanese hosts will maybe improve the system. "Kaizen desu". Indeed as one of the French consulate official told me: " The problem lays with what to do with a fingerprints data base" and he added that the problem is to know if this data base will be adequate and technically adapted to the mission.
Now facts from agencies and complaints from residents and humanitarian organizations:
Quotes: "The Justice Ministry has instructed regional immigration bureaus to forcibly take fingerprints from foreigners who refuse to be fingerprinted or to leave the country, sources close to the ministry said. The ministry's Immigration Bureau sent the directive to regional immigration bureaus prior to the introduction of a system on Tuesday, under which all foreigners who enter Japan, except for a limited number of people such as special permanent residents and visitors under the age of 16, must be photographed and fingerprinted at airports and ports.
The ministry HAD explained that it HAD no intention of forcibly taking fingerprints from foreigners who visit Japan. The directive cites a clause in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law, which empowers immigration officers to conduct body checks on foreign visitors if such measures are necessary for safety reasons. It then urges immigration officers to forcibly take fingerprints from those who refuse to cooperate and film them on video.
Japan became the second country after the United States to introduce the system that collects biometric data from foreign visitors amid lingering calls for a review by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations and human right groups that claim the data could be made available for criminal investigations on an unlimited basis. Entering foreign visitors must show their passports and submit entry cards before they are guided by immigration officials to have their face pictures taken and index fingers scanned.
The revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Law was enacted in May last year in a bid to block entry into Japan mainly of individuals designated as terrorists by the justice minister. Under the law, scanned fingerprints and other biometric data will be stored in a computer to be instantly checked against those of past deportees, in addition to about 800,000-900,000 pieces of information relating to suspects wanted by the Japanese police and Interpol. The measure excludes ethnic Koreans and other permanent residents with special status, those under 16, those visiting Japan for diplomatic or official purposes, and those invited by the Japanese government.
Meanwhile, a total of 67 civic groups in and out of Japan released a joint statement Monday opposing Japan's biometric screening of foreigners entering the country that started Tuesday morning. Representatives of the groups including those from Japan, Europe and the United States said at a news conference in Tokyo they have mailed the joint statement to Justice Minister Kunio Hatoyama. Adopting the procedures of taking fingerprints and photos of foreign passport holders aged 16 or older was a highly political decision taken after almost no public discussion or policy reviews, the statement says. It added that the policy treats all foreign visitors to Japan as if they were criminals and that collecting their personal information under a centralized management system could pose risks of violating privacy. The joint statement was compiled by Privacy International, a nongovernmental organization headquartered in Britain." End of quotes (Agencies)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Niigata Mayor to Tokyo Diet-men: "Stop arguing and vote citizens relief 's laws!"
"Many bills on relief measures to our region [some places devastated by earthquakes] are delayed at Japanese Parliament and these laws would be very useful to local municipalities but Tokyo discussions on grand coalition or international issues delay everything"! Mayor Akira Shinoda is angry and he knows how to be straight! He does not hesitate to criticize Tokyo Representatives and party leaders of the Diet for their never ending political games that are painful for local citizens.
Economy, environment, international standard of Japan, Mr. Shinoda also points at the lack of serious investigations made after the nuclear power plant accident or Kashiwazaki after the July deadly earthquake which caused a fire and a small radioactive leak at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa. No one was injured at the plant, UN inspectors said there were no major safety risks. But its operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., plans to keep the facility closed at least until the end of the year for checks. Locally, people do not hesitate to say that there were nuclear leaks indeed, caused by the violence of the earthquake built at short distance of a geological fault. Where is the help, locals claim?
Akira Shinoda, Niigata mayor, was a journalist of Niigata Nippo and describes the City as a "port city, opened to comments and criticisms". So is the impression of "grandeur d'ame" (generous soul) when one looks at the City from the top of its convention center Toki Messe which will welcome the G8 Labour ministers meeting next spring. A gorgeous sharp razor alike skyscraper, where offices and exhibitions and a Nikko hotel stand, shining with glass walls reflecting on the sea of Japan, near by.
On April 1, 2007, Niigata City was reborn as the first government ordinance-designated city on the Japan Sea side of Honshu, the main island of Japan. Earlier, it completed the merger of 13 neighboring cities, towns and villages and became the largest city on the Japan Sea coast with a population of 810,000. A new responsibility for his mayor Akira Shinoda:
From the top of the building one can see the Sado island at a few nautical miles from the Niigata harbor, and the whole 720 square km of the new municipality, including in the south east, the factories and industrials compounds.
Mayor Shinoda san never gives up criticisms if needed; his comments to the bureaucracy of Tokyo are sharp too: "Far from the local challenges, one of our problems, Mayor Shinoda says, is to attract more people and wealth to revitalize the city economical activity. Also the tax and fiscal policies do not fit realities. For instance it would be good for local cities like Niigata if big corporations whose plants and headquarters are located in the rural municipalities would pay the taxes here and not in Tokyo where they have a building". Here too the issue of subsidies attracts lots of attention. "Redistribution is necessary to fight disparity, Deputy Mayor Hiroo Wada said at a dinner held on a "bateau mouche" cruising on the Niigata river. "Tokyo needs to to review tax system of major corporations which settled in Niigata."
May 2008 will be the G-8 Labor meetings held at Niigata and an excellent opportunity was given to offer me a myriad of curiosity, economical, touristic, cultural. Here are w few spots I enjoyed. Background now thanks to FPCJ: "Niigata and Yokohama jointly bid to host the G8 Summit in 2008, which they named “Old port cities Summit”, and in May this year Niigata was appointed to host the G8 Labor Ministers’ Meeting. “I wished we could have hosted the Foreign Ministers’ Meeting here in Niigata. On the shores of the Japan Sea, they could have discussed on the policies for the emerging East Asian countries as well as the plan to make the Japan Sea a symbol of peace” Niigata Mayor Akira Shinoda said frankly.
However, he shows his strong commitment to make the Labor Ministers’ Meeting fruitful as he is keen to study such national issues as designing policies for more employment, NEETs, and pay raises as a result of the economic revival. He also proposes to give the Meeting a special something particular from Niigata, by stressing, for example, the roles played by the local construction firms in terms of the recovery from the Chuetsu Earthquake. The G8 Labor Ministers’ Meeting will be the first major international event since Niigata became a government designated city with a population of 810,000. Here are some of the most impressive people and places I discovered with the help of the Foreign Press Center in Japan (FPCJ) and of the public relations division head, Keiko Shiiya san, Enomoto san and Yamaguchi san.
Toki convention center (Toki Messe)
The G8 Labor Ministers’ Meeting is scheduled to take place from May 11 to 13, 2008 at Toki Messe, Niigata International Convention Center, as its main venue. This meeting is the curtain raiser of a series of the ministerial meetings that will be held in provincial cities and is expected to play a role to boost the G8 Summit. Through the Summit, Niigata City intends to publicize its strengths, such as the industry, tourism resources, and food culture
Port of Niigata (East District)
As one of the five old ports of Japan (Hakodate, Yokohama, Kobe, Nagasaki, Niigata) that opened between the late 1850s and 1860s, the Port of Niigata opened in 1869 and commemorates its 140-year anniversary in 2009. In fact, it is one single international port on the Japan Sea side and in 2005 handled approx. 31.7 million tons of incoming and outgoing ocean freight. Having reached approx. 157, 484 TEU, it was also listed among Japan’s top ten ports in terms of the volume of containerized freight in 2005. Thanks to the emerging economies of East Asia, it increased by an average of 16.7% a year between 1997 and 2005. The well-serviced ocean shipping routes include China, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, in total eleven shipping routes are in use at present. In particular, there are seven voyages a week between Niigata and Pusan, a hub port in East Asia, and this “Pusan transship” has a potential to change the flow of Japan’s physical distribution. The Port of Niigata East District functions not only as an international container terminal but also as an energy, crude oil and LNG supply base. One recent problem is that many container ships are forced to anchor offshore as the volume of containerized freight continues to grow. It is necessary to develop additional facilities as soon as possible to cope with this growth. The tour will cover the Port of Niigata East District from the sea and feel the wave of future on the Japan Sea.
Niigata Central Wholesale Market "Eco-Market":
This reborn Central Wholesale Market, launched May 2007, is a collective market of vegetables, fish, and flowers with an area of approx. 270,000 square meters, the second largest in Japan in terms of site area.
In the fishery wing, there is a low temperature area, which is part of the “cold chain” to keep fish fresh, from the landing the catch through to the consumers’ table. Here in this storage the temperature is minus 55 degrees!
The market is equipped with two recycling facilities: a great number of white styrolfoam called “gyobako”, or fish boxes, used and disposed of in the market every day are collected, melted and recycled.
Imayo-tsukasa Shuzo Sake Brewery:
Founded in 1897, Imayo-tsukasa, meaning “governor of this age”, Shuzo is proud of its 110-year-long history of sake brewing using the local rice and water. It stubbornly produces sake from genuine rice with no alcohol added in the whole process of production.
The best rice suited to sake making is “Yamada-nishiki”, the well-known brand from Kansai region. However, Mr. Yoshitaro Yamamoto, the fourth generation kuramoto, or sake master, prefers the brewer’s rice produced in Niigata and is currently anticipating the emergence of “Koshi-tanrei”, which could be better than “Yamada-nishiki”.
Recently the local sake breweries and rice farmers are collaborating to develop a new brand of the best rice suited to sake making, and the “Koshi-tanrei” is not one of these. At the same time Mr. Yamamoto is worried about contamination of the local spring water and the decrease of snowfall in winter caused by global warming. I had a chance to visit an old sake brewery that was built in the time when much of sake produced in Niigata was sent to Hokkaido by trading vessels called Kitamae-sen in the pioneer days of the Edo period.
Geisha at the Ryotei Nabedyaya:
For every foreigner and Japanese alike, the world of the Geisha is entrancing. The costumes, the make up, the grace of their movements bewitch each of us. We had a wonderful opportunity to stay at the Ryotei of Mrs. Sumi Takahashi. Graduated from Kyoto Women University and daughter of well known Kyoto Tomiyo teahouse, she is the 6th generation of the Nabedyaya Ryotei, a "tres chic" restaurant. Mrs Takahashi also is member of the Niigata Chamber of Commerce & Industry and vice chair of the Women Association. Her establishment I heard is highly praised by exclusive and fortunate business executives, politicians and celebrities. I know why when I saw the dance and I decided to interview Aoi san and Ayame san about the secret world of Geisha...
Founded in 1846, at the end of the Edo period, the Nabedyaya, a time-honored old establishment in Niigata, has carried on the traditional cuisine and art, together with its elegance, started by its founder 160 years ago. With the Furumachi geisha, it gathered many admirers from the fields of literature and art. The three-story wooden building was listed for preservation as cultural asset by the Cultural Agency in 2000 and reflects the prosperous atmosphere from old “Minato machi, or seaport, culture. Furumachi is a noted geisha quarter in Niigata. In the past Furumachi was the one of the most prestigious geisha quarters, including Gion, Akasaka, and Shimbashi.
There were about 400 Furumachi geisha at the peak time, but there are only 30 these days. However, they have a variety of generations and the all, from young to old, belonging to the Japanese traditional dance school “Ichiyama-ryu”. The Ichiyama-ryu school, listed at the top of the intangible cultural assets by Niigata City, is an unusual school in that it was established in a provincial city and developed by itself in the same place for 120 years or more. With its highly appreciated artistic quality, it has contributed to the development of the Furumachi geisha quarter as well as the traditional dance world in Japanese culture.
Running the art of Geisha as well as the business of this delightful house requires energy and talents, silk and stick is the rules among Ryotei and Geisha school owners in Japan, I was impressed! As my working journey to Niigata ended, I could see the frank, direct attitude and generosity of the people of Niigata.
Not a surprise they welcomed a lot of people after the nightmares and miseries of world war II and Korean war, for instance, Koreans from the North and the South. I guess I have to come back to Niigata to hear more about these fascinating secrets between Japan and North and South Korea, and dramatic too, as in the Japanese abducted to Pyongyang. I shall tell you more later on...
Friday, November 09, 2007
Women rulers disliked in Asia?
Detained Myanmar opposition head Aung San Suu Kyi is under house arrest for years and is told to be "very optimistic" about prospects of the U.N.-promoted process for reconciliation between the military government and pro-democracy forces, top members of her party said Friday.
But not far from Burma, in Pakistan, security officials barricaded former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto inside her home behind barbed wire, concrete blocks and armored cars on Friday morning, and turned out in force in downtown Rawalpindi to quash a planned rally, dispersing protesters as they tried to assemble.
With conflict between Bhutto and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf at a new height, police early Friday began surrounding Bhutto's home, under orders to prevent her from leaving to lead the Rawalpindi demonstration. A security official said the steps were for her protection.
The Rawalpindi protest, called to oppose the national state of emergency declared by Musharraf over the weekend, failed to materialize under a heavy police presence in the city and security barricades established on the roads leading into it. There were scattered clashes through the day between police and would-be protesters.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
A coffee with Akie Abe
I was queuing at the coffee break of an interesting seminar on Burma Asean and Japan organized by a famous Japanese foundation when suddenly my eyes got caught by a lady queuing too, just on my left arm, elegant, well dressed in a dark suit, tall and laughing. Mrs. Akie Abe the wife of the former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
We came into introducing each other and chatted as I reminded her that we had previously met a few times in the past and we talked about the first time I saw the lady to become the Japanese First Lady, in Tokyo, a couple of years ago introduced by a good friend of mine.
Immediately Akie sama spoke very freely and with kind word and gentleness about her husband, Shinzo. "He is fine" she told me "and he recovers well".
I encouraged his recovery and of course asked her if we could invite her to my press club (Press club) with her husband one coming day. "We ll see" what happens. "We wait for you" I answered. "Come to see us."
One other point I noticed about is her committed character, probably the reason why some Japanese and foreign media behaved ruthlessly in talking about her in some articles, probably without even approaching her. My impression about officials, trained with a few decades in reporting, convinced me that Akie sama is a very nice and warm hearted person. The first laughter she had was when I mentioned her studying foreign languages with one of my friend, a Japanese ex reporter of a national newspaper, a few years ago. Her comment was genuinely fresh and honest, "Well, I do not know if my English improved".
I then wondered how come it is possible that politics destroys people or hurts then so much in this country. Going on in the queue to our coffee cup, I saw how people seemed seduced by her free talks and elegant walk. How come this French man talks to the former First Lady so easily, some might have thought. After we poured coffee in the cups and exchanged a few words, I let her quiet and saw many ladies coming to greet her. Let's part and let her do her former First Lady work I told to myself.
Later on, Akie sama asked me how my Japanese was and I modestly confessed that it was still so-so and that I keep on studying, "Your Japanese must be better than my English" she told me with a clear smile before to wonder why my name also bears the name Koizumi... "Family matters", I answered with a twinkle in the eyes.
The seminar focused on the situation in Burma. I learned a lot there and one figure increased my worries for Burma's future: More than 1 million people already escaped from the country to get refugee status in neighboring Thailand. Akie sama stayed until the end of the seminar. The coffee was excellent too!
We came into introducing each other and chatted as I reminded her that we had previously met a few times in the past and we talked about the first time I saw the lady to become the Japanese First Lady, in Tokyo, a couple of years ago introduced by a good friend of mine.
Immediately Akie sama spoke very freely and with kind word and gentleness about her husband, Shinzo. "He is fine" she told me "and he recovers well".
I encouraged his recovery and of course asked her if we could invite her to my press club (Press club) with her husband one coming day. "We ll see" what happens. "We wait for you" I answered. "Come to see us."
One other point I noticed about is her committed character, probably the reason why some Japanese and foreign media behaved ruthlessly in talking about her in some articles, probably without even approaching her. My impression about officials, trained with a few decades in reporting, convinced me that Akie sama is a very nice and warm hearted person. The first laughter she had was when I mentioned her studying foreign languages with one of my friend, a Japanese ex reporter of a national newspaper, a few years ago. Her comment was genuinely fresh and honest, "Well, I do not know if my English improved".
I then wondered how come it is possible that politics destroys people or hurts then so much in this country. Going on in the queue to our coffee cup, I saw how people seemed seduced by her free talks and elegant walk. How come this French man talks to the former First Lady so easily, some might have thought. After we poured coffee in the cups and exchanged a few words, I let her quiet and saw many ladies coming to greet her. Let's part and let her do her former First Lady work I told to myself.
Later on, Akie sama asked me how my Japanese was and I modestly confessed that it was still so-so and that I keep on studying, "Your Japanese must be better than my English" she told me with a clear smile before to wonder why my name also bears the name Koizumi... "Family matters", I answered with a twinkle in the eyes.
The seminar focused on the situation in Burma. I learned a lot there and one figure increased my worries for Burma's future: More than 1 million people already escaped from the country to get refugee status in neighboring Thailand. Akie sama stayed until the end of the seminar. The coffee was excellent too!
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Pro Burmese junta tycoons targeted
After the testimony of Burma's refugees I wrote on this blog after my report in South East Asia "Esclave, pour fuir la Birmanie." I received many emails and talks of people interested in hearing other testimonies of witnesses enslaved in Burma or in the Burma neighboring nations, I shall write again about the enslaved Burmese citizens forced laboring in timber and construction firms based on what I heard and saw during my journey.
But prior to this, I read that Burmese tycoons seem to be scared after the US sanctions threats: One in particular has wet hands:
Picture of the sanctioned Burmese tycoon
Burma Air Bagan, Tay Za, left, speaks with Yangon Commander Maj. Gen. Hla Htay Win ,right, and Transport Minister Maj. Gen. Thein Swe, center, as they stand next to the airline's Airbus A310-200, during a launching ceremony of the first Air Bagan international flight Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at Yangon International Airport. Air Bagan airline formally launched its international service with a flight to Bangkok in neighboring Thailand. The airline was planning to extend its flights to future destinations including China, Singapore, India and Cambodia. (Agencies)
Close friends? Not for long, depending on international pressure on Burma. I also think the Singapore reaction to US financial sanction (the freeze of Burmese pro junta tycoons banks acconts) is quite amazing. Banks in Asia now are scared by the sanctions the US government wish to impose on Burmese junta. More on this with this article of Bertil Lintner that you can access clicking the title of this article.
I quote:
"... Tay Za is the 42-year-old manager of the Myanmar-based Htoo Trading Company, which among other subsidiaries controls the Singapore-registered Htoo Wood Products, Pavo Trading, and Air Bagan. Through the new sanctions, all of those companies are now blacklisted by the US government. The businessman is known to be very close to junta leader General Than Shwe and when he first launched into business he made a point of employing the children of powerful generals - which presumably paved the way for him to land lucrative government contracts. Among those currently or formerly on his payroll are Aung Thet Mann, the son of General Shwe Mann, the junta's third ranking official after Than Shwe and army chief General Maung Aye. According to a 2005 report in The Irrawaddy, Tay Za is also close to Than Shwe's son, Kyaing San Shwe, whom Tay Za presented with a US-made Hummer, for undisclosed reasons..."
Among the words, I noticed with irony the use of Pavo Trading (Pavo is a constellation, but if you add the letter "T", it gives "Pavot", which is the flower that produces the opium: Papaver somniferum. How cynical some say.) This Lintner article in Asia Times is quite different from this lenient information published by the Yomiuri in Japan based on a telex from Afp / Jiji press agencies. " Myanmar tycoon denounces US sanctions ".
Quote:
"...Flamboyant Myanmar tycoon Tay Za Monday denounced US sanctions against his airline and other firms which he said would only hurt the people of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation. US President George W. Bush last month ordered sanctions against seven companies with ties to Myanmar's ruling junta. Tay Za's Air Bagan was among seven firms blacklisted to pile more pressure on the regime after its bloody suppression of pro-democracy protests in September which left 13 dead and thousands locked up. "I hereby condemn the sanctions which were recklessly imposed and only hurt the people of Myanmar," Tay Za told officials, staff and businessmen in a speech for celebrations to mark Air Bagan's third anniversary..."
It looks like the report of Bertil Lintner indeed clarifies the litigious impressions (Click the title)
But prior to this, I read that Burmese tycoons seem to be scared after the US sanctions threats: One in particular has wet hands:
Picture of the sanctioned Burmese tycoon
Burma Air Bagan, Tay Za, left, speaks with Yangon Commander Maj. Gen. Hla Htay Win ,right, and Transport Minister Maj. Gen. Thein Swe, center, as they stand next to the airline's Airbus A310-200, during a launching ceremony of the first Air Bagan international flight Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at Yangon International Airport. Air Bagan airline formally launched its international service with a flight to Bangkok in neighboring Thailand. The airline was planning to extend its flights to future destinations including China, Singapore, India and Cambodia. (Agencies)
Close friends? Not for long, depending on international pressure on Burma. I also think the Singapore reaction to US financial sanction (the freeze of Burmese pro junta tycoons banks acconts) is quite amazing. Banks in Asia now are scared by the sanctions the US government wish to impose on Burmese junta. More on this with this article of Bertil Lintner that you can access clicking the title of this article.
I quote:
"... Tay Za is the 42-year-old manager of the Myanmar-based Htoo Trading Company, which among other subsidiaries controls the Singapore-registered Htoo Wood Products, Pavo Trading, and Air Bagan. Through the new sanctions, all of those companies are now blacklisted by the US government. The businessman is known to be very close to junta leader General Than Shwe and when he first launched into business he made a point of employing the children of powerful generals - which presumably paved the way for him to land lucrative government contracts. Among those currently or formerly on his payroll are Aung Thet Mann, the son of General Shwe Mann, the junta's third ranking official after Than Shwe and army chief General Maung Aye. According to a 2005 report in The Irrawaddy, Tay Za is also close to Than Shwe's son, Kyaing San Shwe, whom Tay Za presented with a US-made Hummer, for undisclosed reasons..."
Among the words, I noticed with irony the use of Pavo Trading (Pavo is a constellation, but if you add the letter "T", it gives "Pavot", which is the flower that produces the opium: Papaver somniferum. How cynical some say.) This Lintner article in Asia Times is quite different from this lenient information published by the Yomiuri in Japan based on a telex from Afp / Jiji press agencies. " Myanmar tycoon denounces US sanctions ".
Quote:
"...Flamboyant Myanmar tycoon Tay Za Monday denounced US sanctions against his airline and other firms which he said would only hurt the people of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation. US President George W. Bush last month ordered sanctions against seven companies with ties to Myanmar's ruling junta. Tay Za's Air Bagan was among seven firms blacklisted to pile more pressure on the regime after its bloody suppression of pro-democracy protests in September which left 13 dead and thousands locked up. "I hereby condemn the sanctions which were recklessly imposed and only hurt the people of Myanmar," Tay Za told officials, staff and businessmen in a speech for celebrations to mark Air Bagan's third anniversary..."
It looks like the report of Bertil Lintner indeed clarifies the litigious impressions (Click the title)
Friday, November 02, 2007
Esclave, pour fuir la Birmanie.
Ce témoignage est l'un des plus poignants de ceux que j'ai pu recueillir ces derniers jours, a la suite de fréquents déplacements que j'ai faits dans le sud-est asiatique. C'est le récit de Liaya (un pseudonyme), il démontre l'état de frayeur instauré par les militaires birmans (Myanmar) depuis la répression du régime de Rangoon (Yangon) sur les populations et les moines de Birmanie.
Fuir la mort pour entrer en esclavage, cette photo de Liaya a été coupée sous les yeux pour d'évidentes raisons de sécurité, avec son accord. Les 4 autres images viennent de la ville birmane de Kawthaung que Liaya a découverte après sa fuite de l'Etat Kachin ayant parcouru des milliers de kilomètres vers le sud, avec la crainte permanente d'être reprise, torturée, emprisonnée ou assassinée par des militaires ou des trafiquants qui pullulent dans cette partie du monde, impunis.
Liaya était d'un calme extraordinaire lorsqu'elle me parlait, sous une violente pluie de mousson, comme des millions de larmes versées sur ces destins d'infortunes.
"Je m'appelle Liaya, j'ai un peu plus de 20 ans et je vis depuis 15 jours dans le sud de la Thailande après avoir séjourné sur la frontière Birmane. Je suis originaire du Népal que mon grand-père avait fuit en raison de la violence du régime. Et il m'a emmené dans l'Ethnie birmane du Kachin. C'est au Kachin que j'ai grandi, presque normalement. J'ai pu entrer a l'université, a Rangoon, j'y ai appris la physique, mais je ne suis pas très au point, je pense.
Comme des centaines de milliers de réfugiés, Birmans, Népalais, Indiens, et ceux des ethnies du sud de la Chine qui s'étaient retrouvés par hasard ou par malheureuse destinée, je ne pouvais plus supporter la situation épouvantable du régime Birman. Je suis jeune et ma famille m'a dit que je devrais essayer de poursuivre ma route ailleurs. J'ai pensé aller a l'Est de la Birmanie, vers Mae Sod, mais les militaires Thai et Birmans ont des accords secrets pour expulser par "convois", la nuit, des centaines de réfugiés.
J'ai ensuite essayé de m'échapper vers la Chine, mais la aussi, ce n'est pas chose facile pour nous, les militaires chinois ont des amis et du commerce en Birmanie et ne laissent passer que les marchands ou des paysans, les marchands de drogue. On me disait aussi le danger d'être pris par les kidnappeurs de filles et d'enfants. Alors j'ai pris la route du sud, et je me suis retrouveée a Kawthaung au sud de la Birmanie, a un bras de mer de la ville frontière Thailandaise de Ranong.
Des filières plus ou moins contrôlées par les Thai nous ont fait traversé le bras de mer qui nous séparait de Ranong. Ici même ou les terres de la Birmanie et de la Thaïlande se réunissent. Je suis reconnaissante a tous ceux qui m'ont permis de m'évader de cet enfer. Mon grand-père est un homme brave et courageux, je pense que j'ai hérité de sa force. Mais je suis seule. On m'a dit ensuite que je pourrais trouver du travail en Thaïlande, avec les touristes et avec le développement immobilier.
Je suis allé a la police Thai et j'ai demandé a être réfugiée. A ma grande surprise, ils m'ont dit que c'était possible de rester si je travaillais dans la construction ou dans le "farang business". (La prostitution ou les bars). Si je choisis la première solution, je peux rester 1 ou 2 ans, le temps des chantiers, mais la vie y est épouvantable, comme des bestiaux, avec interdiction de sortir du chantier ou du bâtiment ou tous les ouvriers sont parqués.
Les risques de viols sont fréquents, les kidnapping aussi. J'avais peur et j'ai demandé aux policiers en parlant longtemps avec eux s'il y avait autre chose pour moi qui suis diplômée d'université. Ils ont rigolé quand je leur ai parlé de mes universités birmanes. Alors sous le désespoir j'ai pris contact avec des filières népalaises car les infos passent vite et il y a des passeurs impatients qui sont bien installés en Thaïlande. J'ai trouvé mais je ne peux vous dire tout ce par quoi il faut passer, ou payer, ou promettre, c'était il y a 15 jours, j'ai un travail au sous sol dans un grand magasin qui vend des souvenirs, des bibelots ethniques, de la soie. Et puis j'ai fait des copines ici, certaines comme Ladia sont la depuis 3 ans. C'est la grande fille la-bas avec un Jean's qui parle avec les 2 filles Indiennes. Ladia elle est jolie, on la croit souvent Farang, italienne ou brésilienne. Moi je suis surtout une "intellectuelle". C'était le rêve de mon grand-père.
Mais j'en suis loin! Je suis vendeuse de bibelots! C'est un groupe étranger européen qui a construit un grand "Mall", un grand magasin et un hôtel avec des restaurants pas loin de la plage. C'était ça ou la prostitution dans les bars et le "sex business Thai." Je suis brave comme mon grand-père et je ne suis pas comme les filles Thai qui se vendent et sont droguées, je veux m'en sortir. Je ne veux pas être une fille de "Farang" alors c'est pour cela que vous pouvez me parler parce que j'ai acheté ma protection, et puis je ne suis pas idiote.
Je gagne 6.000 Baht par mois, je paye 2.000 Baht pour mon visa et ma carte de réfugiée et mon permis de travail, je paye 1.500 Baht pour ma chambre, je dépense 1.000 baht de nourriture, le reste je le garde pour économiser et préparer mon avenir. Je voudrais bien continuer mes études de physique chimie dans une bonne université a Bangkok ou en Malaisie. Mais c'est difficile, ma force c'est que je parle bien l'anglais, alors peut-être qu'un jour je pourrais aller étudier en Amérique ou au Canada.
Quand je pense aux ouvriers, je devrais dire aux travailleurs de force qui sont 12 heures dans les gravas et la poussière, et qui sont complètement isolés, je me dis que j'ai de la chance! Enfin, eux, ils ne paient pas 2.000 Baht de permis de travail, et comme ça, s'ils meurent, personne n'est au courant et personne n'ira demander leurs corps. Ca arrive, ils sont jetés dans la mer et on retrouve les corps flottant dans l'archipel Mergui ou en mer d'Andaman. La tête des touristes étrangers quand ils voient un corps gonflé pris dans leurs filets.
Je vais essayer de rester ici un ou deux ans, mais surtout ce que je voudrais c'est que vous disiez a tous les gens que vous connaissez par les médias qu'il faut absolument comprendre notre abominable situation, et je veux dire qu'il faut faire des pressions sur les Birmans, sur les militaires et sur les Chinois. Il n' y a que cela qui pourra arrêter cet esclavage dans lequel des centaines de milliers de réfugiés birmans se trouvent aujourd'hui. Des pauvres comme moi, sans famille, sans vie, sans destin. Des pressions, vous comprenez? Vous êtes libre, vous, et avec ces pressions des gouvernements étrangers, on pourra s'en sortir, alors je vous en prie, aidez nous! Aidez nous avant qu'ils nous tuent tous, comme les Khmers Rouges l'ont fait, en massacrant leurs enfants! Je vous en prie, s'il vous plait. "
Temoignage recueilli par Joel Legendre-Koizumi
NB: "Farang": Etranger, en langue thailandaise.
Fuir la mort pour entrer en esclavage, cette photo de Liaya a été coupée sous les yeux pour d'évidentes raisons de sécurité, avec son accord. Les 4 autres images viennent de la ville birmane de Kawthaung que Liaya a découverte après sa fuite de l'Etat Kachin ayant parcouru des milliers de kilomètres vers le sud, avec la crainte permanente d'être reprise, torturée, emprisonnée ou assassinée par des militaires ou des trafiquants qui pullulent dans cette partie du monde, impunis.
Liaya était d'un calme extraordinaire lorsqu'elle me parlait, sous une violente pluie de mousson, comme des millions de larmes versées sur ces destins d'infortunes.
"Je m'appelle Liaya, j'ai un peu plus de 20 ans et je vis depuis 15 jours dans le sud de la Thailande après avoir séjourné sur la frontière Birmane. Je suis originaire du Népal que mon grand-père avait fuit en raison de la violence du régime. Et il m'a emmené dans l'Ethnie birmane du Kachin. C'est au Kachin que j'ai grandi, presque normalement. J'ai pu entrer a l'université, a Rangoon, j'y ai appris la physique, mais je ne suis pas très au point, je pense.
Comme des centaines de milliers de réfugiés, Birmans, Népalais, Indiens, et ceux des ethnies du sud de la Chine qui s'étaient retrouvés par hasard ou par malheureuse destinée, je ne pouvais plus supporter la situation épouvantable du régime Birman. Je suis jeune et ma famille m'a dit que je devrais essayer de poursuivre ma route ailleurs. J'ai pensé aller a l'Est de la Birmanie, vers Mae Sod, mais les militaires Thai et Birmans ont des accords secrets pour expulser par "convois", la nuit, des centaines de réfugiés.
J'ai ensuite essayé de m'échapper vers la Chine, mais la aussi, ce n'est pas chose facile pour nous, les militaires chinois ont des amis et du commerce en Birmanie et ne laissent passer que les marchands ou des paysans, les marchands de drogue. On me disait aussi le danger d'être pris par les kidnappeurs de filles et d'enfants. Alors j'ai pris la route du sud, et je me suis retrouveée a Kawthaung au sud de la Birmanie, a un bras de mer de la ville frontière Thailandaise de Ranong.
Des filières plus ou moins contrôlées par les Thai nous ont fait traversé le bras de mer qui nous séparait de Ranong. Ici même ou les terres de la Birmanie et de la Thaïlande se réunissent. Je suis reconnaissante a tous ceux qui m'ont permis de m'évader de cet enfer. Mon grand-père est un homme brave et courageux, je pense que j'ai hérité de sa force. Mais je suis seule. On m'a dit ensuite que je pourrais trouver du travail en Thaïlande, avec les touristes et avec le développement immobilier.
Je suis allé a la police Thai et j'ai demandé a être réfugiée. A ma grande surprise, ils m'ont dit que c'était possible de rester si je travaillais dans la construction ou dans le "farang business". (La prostitution ou les bars). Si je choisis la première solution, je peux rester 1 ou 2 ans, le temps des chantiers, mais la vie y est épouvantable, comme des bestiaux, avec interdiction de sortir du chantier ou du bâtiment ou tous les ouvriers sont parqués.
Les risques de viols sont fréquents, les kidnapping aussi. J'avais peur et j'ai demandé aux policiers en parlant longtemps avec eux s'il y avait autre chose pour moi qui suis diplômée d'université. Ils ont rigolé quand je leur ai parlé de mes universités birmanes. Alors sous le désespoir j'ai pris contact avec des filières népalaises car les infos passent vite et il y a des passeurs impatients qui sont bien installés en Thaïlande. J'ai trouvé mais je ne peux vous dire tout ce par quoi il faut passer, ou payer, ou promettre, c'était il y a 15 jours, j'ai un travail au sous sol dans un grand magasin qui vend des souvenirs, des bibelots ethniques, de la soie. Et puis j'ai fait des copines ici, certaines comme Ladia sont la depuis 3 ans. C'est la grande fille la-bas avec un Jean's qui parle avec les 2 filles Indiennes. Ladia elle est jolie, on la croit souvent Farang, italienne ou brésilienne. Moi je suis surtout une "intellectuelle". C'était le rêve de mon grand-père.
Mais j'en suis loin! Je suis vendeuse de bibelots! C'est un groupe étranger européen qui a construit un grand "Mall", un grand magasin et un hôtel avec des restaurants pas loin de la plage. C'était ça ou la prostitution dans les bars et le "sex business Thai." Je suis brave comme mon grand-père et je ne suis pas comme les filles Thai qui se vendent et sont droguées, je veux m'en sortir. Je ne veux pas être une fille de "Farang" alors c'est pour cela que vous pouvez me parler parce que j'ai acheté ma protection, et puis je ne suis pas idiote.
Je gagne 6.000 Baht par mois, je paye 2.000 Baht pour mon visa et ma carte de réfugiée et mon permis de travail, je paye 1.500 Baht pour ma chambre, je dépense 1.000 baht de nourriture, le reste je le garde pour économiser et préparer mon avenir. Je voudrais bien continuer mes études de physique chimie dans une bonne université a Bangkok ou en Malaisie. Mais c'est difficile, ma force c'est que je parle bien l'anglais, alors peut-être qu'un jour je pourrais aller étudier en Amérique ou au Canada.
Quand je pense aux ouvriers, je devrais dire aux travailleurs de force qui sont 12 heures dans les gravas et la poussière, et qui sont complètement isolés, je me dis que j'ai de la chance! Enfin, eux, ils ne paient pas 2.000 Baht de permis de travail, et comme ça, s'ils meurent, personne n'est au courant et personne n'ira demander leurs corps. Ca arrive, ils sont jetés dans la mer et on retrouve les corps flottant dans l'archipel Mergui ou en mer d'Andaman. La tête des touristes étrangers quand ils voient un corps gonflé pris dans leurs filets.
Je vais essayer de rester ici un ou deux ans, mais surtout ce que je voudrais c'est que vous disiez a tous les gens que vous connaissez par les médias qu'il faut absolument comprendre notre abominable situation, et je veux dire qu'il faut faire des pressions sur les Birmans, sur les militaires et sur les Chinois. Il n' y a que cela qui pourra arrêter cet esclavage dans lequel des centaines de milliers de réfugiés birmans se trouvent aujourd'hui. Des pauvres comme moi, sans famille, sans vie, sans destin. Des pressions, vous comprenez? Vous êtes libre, vous, et avec ces pressions des gouvernements étrangers, on pourra s'en sortir, alors je vous en prie, aidez nous! Aidez nous avant qu'ils nous tuent tous, comme les Khmers Rouges l'ont fait, en massacrant leurs enfants! Je vous en prie, s'il vous plait. "
Temoignage recueilli par Joel Legendre-Koizumi
NB: "Farang": Etranger, en langue thailandaise.
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