Link Between Philippine Past, Present Problems Plumbed

A recent Wilson Center Asia Program event examined why Philippine political institutions are “struggling” and looked at the connections between the country’s history and current events for possible answers.  Spanish colonial rule gave rise to the Philippine conceptions of nationalism and nationhood, said Vicente Rafael of the University of Washington, Later, said Glen May of the University of Oregon, the U.S. colonial era “cemented” the influence of the Philippine elite.  And, in the view of Joel Rocamora of the Institute of Popular Democracy, the U.S. period also saw the establishment of “sub-national political enclaves” that account for what he sees as a lack of effective leaders today.  George Mason University’s Hazel McFerson concluded that the American period influenced not just political institutions, but all of Philippine society.  Maybe, countered Aries Arugay of the University of the Philippines, but “the Philippines cannot merely blame colonialism” for its present problems. 

Kazakh President Unveils ‘Warrior Prince’ Statue at Embassy

There are “Asian tigers” and then there is a “Central Asian snow leopard.”  That would be the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, according to a statement from the country’s Washington embassy issued during the recent visit of Kazak President Nursultan Nazarbayev.  The reference is to a 13-foot-high bronze statue unveiled by the president in front of the Kazak embassy here which depicts a young “Golden Warrior Prince” astride a winged snow leopard (an animal native to Kazakhstan, but without wings).  The statue, the embassy said, “embodies the spirit of an archaeological find in Kazakhstan dating from the fourth century.”  At that time, the “Saka” civilization existed, and left “vivid” artifacts.  The Golden Warrior Prince figure, found in 1970, has come to symbolize Kazakhstan’s long history and rebirth as a modern nation.  During his visit, President Nazarbayev met with President George W. Bush and other U.S. officials.  At the unveiling ceremony, he said that his country is “proud that this monument, an emblem of the newly sovereign Kazakhstan…is in the capital of the United States, a country whose name is synonymous with freedom.”  America, he said, “must be confident that in far away Central Asia, it has a reliable partner and true ally.”  Kazakh Ambassador Kanat Saudabayev called the ceremony “a truly historic event (and) evidence of the growing relationship based on true friendship and strategic partnership between our two countries.”

Eddie Mak New Hong Kong Director General in Washington

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) has a new director general, but he is not new to Washington.  Mr. Eddie Mak, who took over the job in September, studied for a master’s degree in international relations at George Washington University in 2001-2002.  He also worked at IBM in the U.S.  Mr. Mak has worked for the Hong Kong government for 15 years in the areas of human resource management, telecommunications and broadcasting, infrastructure development, administrative appeal and complaint system and administration. In his present position with HKETO, Mr. Mak says he hopes to “strengthening ties between Hong Kong and the U.S. (in) economic, trade, culture and many other” areas.

Vassar Professor Wins Prize for Book on E. Asian Art

The Smithsonian Institution’s Freer and Sackler art galleries and the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies in Kyoto, Japan, have announced that Andrew M. Watsky, associate professor of Japanese and Chinese art history at Vassar College, is the winner of the eighth biennial competition of the Shimada Prize for outstanding publication on the history of East Asian art.  The award was established in l922 to honor Professor Shimada Shujiro, whose “enormous” contributions to Japanese and Chinese painting and calligraphy, the Smithsonian says, are “recognized internationally.”  This year’s prize is awarded for Watsky’s book, Chikubushima: Deploying the Sacred Arts in Momoyama Japan, published by the University of Washington Press (2004).  The award ceremony will be Thursday, December 14 at 10:30 a.m. in the Freer Gallery’s Meyer Auditorium .  A colloquium on Japanese art of the Momoyama era is planned in conjunction with the ceremony.  For more information, call 202/633-1000 or visit the exhibitions section of the galleries’ website, www.asia.si.edu. 

VOA Begins Broadcasts to Afghan-Pakistan Border Area

The Voice of America has begun the first full news hours of a new radio broadcasting service to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.  Called VOA Deewa (Light) Radio, the service will expand to six hours or daily news programming.  VOA Director David Jackson said, “VOA Deewa’s first hour-long daily newscast marks the beginning of a new Pashto language radio program specifically designed” for this region.  “This is an area…facing significant challenges ranging from ethnic and political strife to poverty and health issues, so it’s critical for (the people there) to have access to accurate and unbiased news and information.”  The first hour of VOA Deewa Radio offers local, regional and international news as well as features on topics such as politics, economy, health, education and sports.     Special features are planned, including an on-going series on Muslims in America and “Who We Are,” a series about life in the United States.  In addition to the News Hour, Deewa Radio has begun broadcasting 20 minutes of regional and global news at the top of the hour for  four hours every evening, followed by contemporary Pashto popular music on a 24-hour, seven-day per week basis.  Deewa Radio can be heard in select cities on FM 100.5 and on short wave from 1300-1400 UTC on 11510 kHz (26.06 meters) and 15654 kHz (19.18 meters).  Deewa’s News Hour runs from 1300-1400 UTC (6-7 p.m. local time) with 10-minute news bulletins at the top of the hour between 1400-1700 UTC (7-10 p.m. local time).  Programs can be heard online at www.voadeewaradio.com.  For more information, call 202/203-4959.

100-Member Choir Protests at Chinese Embassy, Other DC Sites

A 100-member church choir from Seoul, Korea, sang in front of the Chinese embassy, White House, Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument last month to promote the human rights of North Korean refugees in China and the people of North Korea, and to protest the Chinese government’s forced repatriation of North Korean refugees back to the communist country.  The China Aid Association said the choir also sang songs protesting the attempts of North Korean dictator Kim (“Dear Leader”) Jong-il to use new nuclear test threats to escape charges of human rights abuses.  For more information, contact the Rev. Bob Fu of the China Aid Association at 267/205-5210, Peter Eun of the Aegis Foundation at 202/299-6988 or the Rev. Phillip Koo at 432/413-9593.  The email address is info@chinaaid.org. 

Kazakhstan, U.S. Announce Nuclear Nonproliferation Accord

The government of Kazakhstan,  the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the nonprofit organization Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) have reached an “agreement-in-principle” to move forward with the down-blending of highly enriched uranium (HEU) stored at the Central Asian country’s Institute of Nuclear Physics.  Roman Vassilenko, the Kazakhstan Embassy Press Secretary in Washington, sent Asia in Washington a DOE/NTI news release which said the agreement calls for “the conversion of the VVR-K research reactor to operate on low enriched uranium fuel instead, of HEU,” which can be used in nuclear weapons.  The announcement called the accord an “important step forward” in fulfilling the pledge of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazerbayev last year to rid his country of HEUs.  U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman said the agreement “represents another example of the kind of productive cooperation the United States and Kazakhstan have shred in furthering nuclear proliferation.  Our cooperative efforts support the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism of the administration of President George W. Bush” recently announced by President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

Philippines, Amb. Gaa Honored at N.C. Festival

The Philippines was featured as Host Country at the recent International Folk Festival in Fayetteville/Cumberland Country, North Carolina, where Philippine ambassador to the U.S. Willy C. Gaa was Grand Marshall of the festival parade.  Philippine embassy Consul and Press and Information Officer Patricia Paez said more than 30 nations showcased their cultural diversity through arts and crafts.  During the festival’s VIP Night, Ambassador Gaa was presented the “key” to Fayetteville by Mayor Tony Chavonne. 

Natl. Vietnam War Museum Planned

From SITREP, the newsletter of Counterparts, an organization of and for Vietnam War veterans from Vietnam, the U.S. and other allied countries, we learn of the progress toward the National Vietnam War Museum.  The museum, yet to be built, is incorporated as a 501© (3) corporation in Texas, is to be located on a 12-acre site in the city of Mineral Wells, about 50 miles west of Fort Worth.  Basic purpose of the museum, SITREP says, is to “create an atmosphere of learning about the Vietnam War era, and engage people of all ages, nationalities and political points of view.”  It will be designed to tell the “unbiased” story of the more than five million servicemen and women who served in Vietnam; the civilian contractors who supported their efforts; the

Vietnamese people, their culture and history; and those on the home front, both those who supported and those who protested the war.  For more: www.nationalvnmuseum.org.