Chinese documentary reveals US hypocrisy on human rights
A TV documentary highlighting the US’s double standards on human rights issues was aired by China’s State-run CCTV on Sunday. The series, by illustrating the true human rights situation in the US, exposed its hypocrisy over the issue.
Citing media reports both inside and outside the US, the documentary called “the human rights record of global police” revealed how the superpower tramples on US citizen's human rights. The prisons, for example, are rampant with corruption, torture of prisoners and sexual abuse. Career women are subject to discrimination and sexual harassment at work.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, or the FBI, forces Internet companies to provide clients' information without court approval, the documentary said.
The airing of the documentary came days after the US, along with 11 other countries, pointed fingers at China’s human rights record at the UN Human Rights Council.
Since the 1970s, the US State Department has been submitting annual reports on human rights to its Congress, poking its nose into other countries' human rights records while leaving many of its own problems unaddressed.
The country that prides itself as the “global police” was blamed that what it did is just to serve its own strategic interests.
Ji Hong, s researcher with the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the US always holds a sense of superiority. It considers itself a global leader with the best system and human rights record.
The documentary exposed the US’s lack of willingness and capability to improve its record. The documentary also echoed China’s position on human rights that all countries should face up to their own problems and have more dialogues with others to advance the progress of human rights in the international arena.
Based on extensive media reports both inside and outside the U.S., and interviews of many human rights experts from China, the U.S., France, Canada, Russia and Switzerland, the 45-minute TV program revealed the U.S. trampling on American people's human rights in all walks of life.
In 2015, more than 560,000 people across the United States were homeless, 25 percent of whom were under age; the country's primary women's prison Lowell Correctional Institution, where 2,696 convicts are held, is rampant with corruption, torture of prisoners, and sexual abuse; women are subject to sexual harassment and sexual assaults of different forms, and career women subject to discrimination at work, the documentary showed, citing media reports.
Of teenagers aged 15 and above who succumb to injuries in the States, one quarter die in shooting incidents; the Federal Bureau of Investigation forces Internet companies to provide clients' information without a court approval, according to the documentary.
The United States has been using double standards on practically every human rights-related issue, which is showcased both by its invasion of citizens' privacy through online surveillance and civilian deaths caused by its drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries, it showed.
For a very long time, the United States has been quite condescending, with the belief that it has the best system and human rights record, and as a result, it tends to find fault with other countries, Ji Hong, researcher with the Institute of American Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said in the program.
The United States' confrontational attitude toward China on human rights serves only its national interests, and it also harms global governance and the cause of international human rights, China's top human rights researchers, Liu Hainian, director of the human rights research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said.
In a news conference in Beijing on Monday that was organized by State Council Information Office, four human rights researchers from think tanks and a university criticized the US for duplicity on the human rights issue.
The US, 10 other Western countries and Japan released a joint statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday. The statement expressed their concerns over what it called "the deteriorating human rights record" in China, saying that Beijing has not only contravened its own laws but also breached its commitments to the international community.
'Selective blindness'
Liu Hainian, director of the human rights research center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the US is selectively blind to its own human rights problems, as well those of its allies, in racial and gender discrimination, gun violence, the treatment of prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay military detention facility and illegal monitoring of citizens' private activities.
"The US' invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, and its subversive movements in North Africa and the Middle East, directly harm local residents' human rights," said Liu.
The UN replaced the former Commission on Human Rights with the current Human Rights Council in 2006 to promote joint efforts in human rights protection and to avoid politicizing such efforts. Since then, the US has attempted 11 times to pass an anti-China resolution in the council. But all of these attempts have failed because of opposition from most member states.
'Cold War mindset'
"The US regards human rights as a political and diplomatic tool to realize its own purposes, as it did toward the Soviet Union after World War II," said Chang Jian, director of the human rights research center at Nankai University in Tianjin. "The Cold War strategy and mindset are outdated. The decline of its national power, especially in comparison with China, makes the US decision-makers nervous and they resort to their old tricks," Chang added.
Liu Huawen, a researcher of international law at CASS, said, "China is committed to peaceful development, constantly improving its human rights conditions and strengthening dialogue and cooperation with the other countries on human rights.
"But the US stands on the wrong side of history," he added. "What it wants is confrontation. The US has not yet signed some UN treaties in protecting children's, women's and disabled people's rights. It is ridiculous that it still plays the role of a judge of international human rights."
Li Yunlun, a professor of international studies at the Party School of the Central Committee of the CPC, said: "China faces up to its problems in human rights. China's poverty alleviation project will help the poorest citizens, and the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), if it comes true, will see comprehensive progress in China's human rights.
Working under the Kempeitai in Penang during WWII haunts James Jeremiah to this day.
While filming an episode of Jeremiah brought
the crew back to the Wesley Methodist Church in Penang, where he would
hear the screams of those torutured there by the Japanese. He had not
been back to the church in over 70 years. — HAFrIZ IQBAL/ r. AGE
STARING out to sea on Fort Cornwallis, James Jeremiah cuts a lonely figure.
“Before the fighting started, we were so excited to shoot the Japanese. We had never seen war; we had only seen it in the movies,” said Jeremiah. “But the first time I heard a real bomb, I was scared to death.”
That was at the old Bayan Lepas Airport, where Jeremiah witnessed the beginning of the Japanese invasion of Penang. He was 18 at the time, and a member of the Eurasian “E” company of Penang, a volunteer force similar to the British Home Guard.
“We thought the Japanese would fly in from Batu Maung in the south, but they came in through Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi. I think they knew we were focused on the south.”
The tactic worked. The volunteers mistook the Japanese planes for British fighters, a mistake that almost cost them their lives.
“They turned out to be Japanese Zero fighters. They starting bombing and machine gunning us. Shrapnel was flying everywhere. I cannot even describe the fear we had in our hearts.”
Although they were trained to some extent, the Volunteer Forces ( VF) were not hardened military men.
After the bombing, it was only a matter of time before Japanese ground troops arrived.
Even then, the volunteer forces regrouped at their headquarters on Peel Avenue, and did their best to maintain order.
With the British gone and the Japanese at their doorstep, people were looting ruined houses and bodies were strewn everywhere from the bombing.
“We carried the dead bodies away, assisted the wounded and stopped all looters.
“It’s no joke when you’re in that situation – we just didn’t know what to do,” said Jeremiah.
Things quickly got worse when the Japanese arrived. The Volunteer Forces were rounded up, and the Europeans and fairskinned Eurasians were sent to Singapore to be held as prisoners of war.
“My father had rather dark skin, which I inherited. I think it saved my life!” said Jeremiah.
The remaining VF members were used by the Japanese as guides. Jeremiah’s work ethic as a guide caught the eye of a member of the Kempeitai, the feared Japanese military police.
“Colonel Watanabe took me to his office and asked what work I could do, so I said anything. He asked me to make tea, coffee, polish his boots – things like that.”
The Kempeitai office was located in the Wesley Methodist Church on Jalan Burma. Although he was a mere office boy, the experience was terrifying.
He still lives on Penang island today, a mere 20 minutes from the church – but he has never gone back to the church in over 70 years, until he brought R. AGE there last month to shoot an episode of The Last Survivors ( rage. com. my/ lastsurvivors).
“I used to see people being arrested. I don’t know how, but they were ‘ interrogated’. I used to hear screams, cries... I couldn’t take it,” he said in the video, which is part of a series documenting the stories of Malaysia’s WWII survivors.
Although the brutality of the Kempeitai has haunted many, including Jeremiah, not all the Japanese were cruel overlords.
Watanabe was educated in the United States, and he saved Jeremiah’s life a few times.
The Japanese would hold “trials” at public spaces – including Padang Kota Lama next to Fort Cornwallis – where their local informants would expose other locals who were working against the Japanese.
“( The informants) wore hoods when they pointed people out. The minute they point at you, you’re finished, gone,” said Jeremiah. “The Japanese would round up the public so the informants could point people out.”
Jeremiah thanks Watanabe for saving him from attending the trials, where he believes he could easily have been singled out for execution. “Watanabe protected me. I was so lucky, he was very good to me.”
Some of the informants flaunted their special privilege with the Japanese, according to Jeremiah.
“They would say ‘ don’t mess with us’, so we kept quiet. I remember a famous Eurasian doctor, Doctor J. E. Smith, who was done in by them and, I think, beheaded.”
Even with Watanabe’s protection, the atrocities being committed at the Kempeitai office was too much for Jeremiah to bear, and he asked to be transfered to the railways. The colonel relunctantly agreed.
Watanabe continued showing kindness to Jeremiah even after he started work as a locomotive driver, putting in a good word to his new boss and General Yamashita himself, the mastermind behind the invasion of Malaya. Yamashita had defeated the combined Australian, British and Indian force of 130,000 soldiers with just 30,000 troops.
“Yamashita was riding the train along with Tadashi Suzuki ( an infamous samurai sword- wielding executioner), but I couldn’t understand what they were saying as it was in Japanese,” said Jeremiah. “They noticed that my new boss’ boots were shining, and Watanabe said I was the one who polished them.”
The general made a lasting impression on young Jeremiah, who said the very sight of him made everyone afraid.
“He was very fierce and very dynamic, though very big and chubby. Everyone was afraid. I didn’t dare look him in the eye.”
While many struggled for food during the Occupation, Jeremiah said he was lucky to be paid in both “banana money” – the Japanese currency – and food.
“I used to get about 30 dollars a week, sometimes more. I saved the bread for my parents and if I wanted an egg, I’d ask Watanabe.”
Had he been caught smuggling eggs, the colonel would have beheaded him.
The horrors of the Occupation were a far cry from his pre- war days.
Jeremiah was rotated around a few places, including Fort Auchry ( now a Malaysian army camp), Fort Cornwallis and Batu Maung.
He remembers watching the Europeans and Eurasians boarding ships at Swettenham Pier heading to Singapore, where they believed they would be safe. Winston Churchill had insisted Singapore would not fall.
He was also posted at Batu Maung, a British fort which the Japanese turned into a torture chamber.
He brought the Last Survivors crew there during filming. The original fort remains, but the land is now a privately owned museumcum- theme park, with plastic “ghosts” hanging everywhere and a paintball field attached.
“Everything has changed,” said Jeremiah with a laugh. “I don’t remember any of this being here!”
Jeremiah spent the rest of the war as a locomotive driver. After the war, he worked at the Batu Ferringhi reservoir, where he would retire as a superintendent.
While he experienced many horrors during the war, something beautiful did come out of it. He met his late wife, a former Miss Thailand, during his time on the railways.
“I travelled all the way to Bangkok after the war to find her,” said Jeremiah with a wide smile.
“All I had was her name, as her letters never had a return address.”
Though he lives on, happily surrounded by his children and grandchildren, Jeremiah said young Malaysians need to find out about their grandparents’ experiences.
“War is something that hurts everyone – it’s not like what you see in the movies. They should find out; they need to be told what happened.”
Today, he has outlived all 18 members of the “E” Company, all five of his siblings, and one of his children.
“All my friends and colleagues are now gone. I am the last survivor.”
Japanese Occupation survivors tell their stories
Feb 16, 2012 ... “The Japanese need to formally acknowledge and admit they committed
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Nanjing Massacre remembered!
Dec 15, 2011 ... Events were staged Tuesday to remember the victims of the Nanjing massacre
on its 74th anniversary. Occupied by Japanese troops on Dec.
Great contribution from the Chinese: UN Chief Praises WW2 parade...
Sep 6, 2015 ... UN chief praises parade, China's great contribution. The world has been saying
about Beijing's grand military parade on Thursday, held to mark the 70thanniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese ....
Labels: 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War , China's ...
Sep 3, 2015 ...China holds parade, vows peace on war anniversary ... Japanese Aggression (
1937-45) and the end of World War II, China ... The events ended with 10 air
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PETALING JAYA: Stories of Malaysia’s World War II survivors have been coming in from across the country since R.AGE kicked off The Last Survivors, an online interactive video project.
The project aims to get young Malaysians to explore the country’s WWII history through the eyes of its survivors, in line with the 70th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 22.
While some submissions were from the grandchildren or children of survivors, others were written by the survivors themselves.
For example, John Robson, 84, said he started working when he was nine because of the war. He narrowly escaped execution after a bag of rice went missing at his workplace at the Tapah Road railway station.
“The Japanese captain slapped and kicked me. Then he went to his room and came out with his sword. The lorry driver and I were shivering,” Robson recounted.
“I cried and begged for forgiveness. I peed in my pants! Luckily, the captain believed me because he saw how scared I was and let me go with a warning.”
Another survivor, Lim Chung Bee, 93, was held captive in Japan from 1942 to 1946. His daughter Doreen Lim e-mailed R.AGE.
“He was 17 years old then and he experienced it all as a Japanese prisoner of war working in the copper mines for four years,” said Doreen.
“I’ve found photos of him when he and other British soldiers were captured in Java in 1941.”
R.AGE also produced a mini-documentary series on several WWII survivors.
Ethelin Teo, 85, was featured in episode three. She spoke of how she was almost taken as a comfort woman during the Japanese occupation of Kuantan.
Teo was 13 when the Japanese invaded Kuantan. She recalled how Teluk Cempedak, now a popular beach, was used as a killing field and mass grave.
Watch The Last Survivors and read all the WWII stories contributed by the public at age.com.my.
Nanjing Massacre remembered!
Dec 15, 2011 ... Events were staged Tuesday to remember the victims of the Nanjing massacre
on its 74th anniversary. Occupied by Japanese troops on Dec.
Great contribution from the Chinese: UN Chief Praises WW2 parade...
Sep 6, 2015 ... UN chief praises parade, China's great contribution. The world has been saying
about Beijing's grand military parade on Thursday, held to mark the 70thanniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese ....
Labels: 70th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War , China's ...
Sep 3, 2015 ...China holds parade, vows peace on war anniversary ... Japanese Aggression (
1937-45) and the end of World War II, China ... The events ended with 10 air
force formations flying over the square and ... Tomorrow, China will be holding a
military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in...
NOW that Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year are over, many of us have started to reconcile the amount spent for these celebrations.
Not surprisingly, many have underestimated the current cost of living and have therefore overspent.
Hence, it did not come as a surprise to me when I overheard one of my relatives saying that the price of an eight-course Chinese New Year package at the restaurant that she often frequents has increased by 15% from RM898++ to RM1,028++ within a year. Not only has the price increased, she also noticed the serving portions were smaller than the previous year.
The rising cost of living caused by the depreciating ringgit, hike in transportation costs, the goods and services tax implementation, etc, was the hottest topic of discussion during these festive gatherings. Among the various counter-measures, some young ones welcomed the option to reduce the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions, citing that it would help relieve their burden.
The reduction in EPF contribution came about early this year when the Government announced that employees had the option to reduce their EPF contribution by 3% from March 2016 until December 2017 to spur economic growth and at the same time, put more money into the rakyat’s pockets. According to our Prime Minister who is also the Finance Minister, this move is expected to increase consumer spending by RM8bil a year.
It sounds good as we now have the option to have more disposable income. Yet, should we encourage spending or saving during this challenging time.
Before answering this question, let’s ask ourselves what we should do with the extra disposable income. Repay credit card instalments, go after items such as expensive household goods, electronic gadgets or gourmet food?
If we are not careful, we will end up spending based on our desire instead of necessity. Hence, having more money to spend is not necessarily good. It depends on how we plan our future finances, and whether we spend the money on “good debt” or “bad debt” as explained in my previous articles.
If we unnecessarily spend the additional income on luxury goods such as a new car which depreciates over time, we are practically paying for “bad debt”, as these items are liabilities instead of assets.
In contrast, if we convert the additional income into “good debt” such as investing in commodities/ shares or to fund our housing loan, we can enjoy the long-term benefits as the value of these assets will likely appreciate over time.
At a glance, 3% taken out from the EPF per month may not be seen as a lot. However, it will become a significant amount in the long term.
For an individual earning RM5,000 a month, 3% equals to RM150. As such, the total amount is RM3,300 for the duration of 22 months (March 2016 to December 2017). Assuming the average EPF interest rate at 6.5% per year (based on the dividend declared this year), the compounding rate for RM3,300 could potentially become RM23,190.64 after 30 years!
Therefore, unless there are really good reasons to use this additional disposable income, it is better to retain this seemingly small amount as retirement funds, giving its potential to grow significantly in the longer term. Besides, the savings in the EPF can also be withdrawn during rainy days to fund the payment for children’s education, purchase a new home and payment of medical expenses for treatment of critical illnesses.
At this testing time when many are faced with the burden of rising costs and economic slowdown, it is important to resist the temptation of instant gratification, be prudent in spending, and be able to differentiate between “good debt” and “bad debt” in making financial decisions.
For those who have yet to opt out from reducing the EPF contribution from 11% to 8%, it is important to use the additional money wisely so as to ensure that your retirement fund is not affected. Every ringgit saved or invested is essential in making a difference in our future financial position.
When I was a kid, my parents encouraged me and my siblings to save. Each of us would have our own piggy banks and they would continue to remind us about the beauty of saving. Until today, I still like this Malay proverb – ‘Sedikit, sedikit, lama-lama jadi bukit’ (little by little, a little becomes a lot).
Datuk Alan Tong has over 50 years of experience in property development. He is the group chairman of Bukit Kiara Properties. For feedback, please email feedback@fiabci-asiapacific.com.
Feb 16, 2016 ... It is therefore crucial to invest to fight inflation especially monetary ... Datuk AlanTong has over 50 years of experience in property development.
Chinese documentary reveals US hypocrisy on human rights 
US human rights stance 'serves its own interests'
