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An earthquake with 7.6 on Richter scale hit West Sumatera on September 30, 2009 at 17:16 hours Western Indonesia Time. The source was said to be originated at 57 km northwest of Pariaman, with 71 km in depth. It triggered other natural catastrophic disasters that claimed thousands deaths and missing persons. On October 2, 2009, CCEVI sent the letter to the Prime Minister (cc to Michael Ignatieff) about sending effective aid for these earthquake victims. On the same day CCNC also sent the letter to the PM as a token of support and solidarity.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2, 2009Dear Prime Minister Harper,
Re: Emergency Aid for Earthquake Victims in Padang and the West Sumatra Region
Canadians Committed to Ethnic Voice in Indonesia (CCEVI) is a registered, non-profit organization whose members consist of concerned individuals committed to promoting human rights in Indonesia. We are writing you today, on behalf of our members whose families and friends are earthquake victims, to request that government emergency aid be provided in an effective and efficient way.
CCEVI appreciates the Government of Canada's willingness to offer humanitarian assistance, and asks that you consider the following to ensure aid effectiveness:
Financial aid should be channelled through local non-government-organizations that are directly involved with the crisis and day-to-day activities on site. If this is not possible, we encourage Canada to channel funds through Canadian international development and relief agencies in Indonesia. We strongly recommend that aid not be channelled through government agencies at the local, regional or national levels. Emergency aid should be allocated for efforts to save lives, provide medical treatment as well as temporary evacuation from the disaster zones. Long term financial aid should be coordinated with the local authorities responsible for disaster recovery and rehabilitation of their areas.
We thank you in advance for your favourable response and action to help the victims.
Respectfully yours,
Marcus Kwee & Nancy Slamet
Co-chairs of CCEVI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 2, 2009
Right Honourable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
By fax and by email
Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper:
Re: Request for Emergency Aid to the Victims of Earthquake in Indonesia
I am writing on behalf of the Chinese Canadian National Council (CCNC) to urge the Canadian Government to provide generous aid to the victims of earthquake victims in Padang and the West Sumatra Region of Indonesia. The 7.9 Richter scale earthquake which struck the region on Wednesday was followed by a powerful aftershock on Thursday. We would urge our Government to provide generous humanitarian aid to the affected region by funding humanitarian aid agencies and local non-governmental groups to ensure that donations are directed to those in need.
Canada has recognized expertise in disaster relief. For example: Canadian manufacturers could provide pre-fabricated housing and water sanitation systems and community-based groups that could assemble medical teams and medicines. At the community level, CCNC is supporting appeals from local community and diaspora groups such as Canadians Committed to Ethnic Voice in Indonesia (CCEVI). We believe that Canadians will support and appreciate a generous aid response from the Canadian Government.
If we can be of further assistance to your officials, please contact our Executive Director Victor Wong at (416) 977-9871.
Sincerely,
Colleen Hua
National President
cc. Hon Bev Oda
Hon. Jason Kenney
Hon. Lawrence Cannon
Hon. Alice Wong
CIDA
CCEVI
******************************
Victor Wong
CCNC Executive Director
national@ccnc.ca
(416) 977-9871 (tel)
CCNC: www.ccnc.ca
PanAsian Network: www.ccnc.ca/panasian
Health Equity Council: www.healthequitycouncil.ca
No To Hate: www.notohate.ca
As per definition, reinvigorate is a transitive verb and it means to give new life or energy to. I wanted to give new life or energy (or, to refresh, to revitalize, to rejuvenate) to this blog a long time ago. But, I was enjoying my hibernation away from the blogs too much, I think. *smile* Until I made myself sit in front of my laptop and dedicated the time to make it happen...So, here we are... there are some changes but I keep many things unchanged.Still the same1. The blog address is still http://bebeth009.blogspot.com/2. The color theme is still green3. The majority of the posts are staying in this blogChanges 1. The blog's title: Make INDONESIA A Better Place2. The blog's layout3. The blog's top banner image4. The list of blogs and linksFor those of you who have followed my blog (thank you, thank you, thank you) you know that I have posted many facts and writings about Indonesia, especially about human rights, democracy, socio-politics, and activism. I'd love to see, at least in my lifetime, that Indonesia will prosper and be a better place for all of us who love it. That's why I dedicate this blog to anything about Indonesia and hence the name. *smile* Please let me know any links that you think is good and matches this blog's theme.There are still so many unfinished writings, some drafts here and there... many times I think my other priorities have kept me away from completing the writings or touching-up the drafts. Tonight, I made it happened! I am reinvigorating, rejuvenating, refreshing, revitalizing this blog and I am also in the progress of building and maintaining other blogs. Well, let's see where these blogs will lead me. *smile* I love reading books, watching movies or programs on TV, and listening to music. So, I will share with you what I read, watch, and listen on another blog. It's Another Bebeth on the Blog (in vox.com). On a personal level you can follow my writings in Just About Anything (in wordpress.com). Yes, three blogs, three different themes! I am so excited! *smile*They are all work in progress... So, do let me know what you think. Please. *smile*
Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan
c/o Consulate-General of Japan in Vancouver
800-1177 West Hastings Street
Vancouver, BC
V6E 2K9
By Fax: 604-687-2236
July 9, 2009
Your Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan,
We are writing to you as some representatives of groups of Canadians that make up the rich diversity of this country: Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and European. We hope you enjoyed your visit to Eastern Canada, and we would like to extend you our warm welcome to Vancouver, Canada’s gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.
With so many immigrants from all parts of Asia, we believe that Canada is an ideal place from which to promote peace and understanding among the Asia-Pacific nations. For example, Japanese-Canadians, along with people from other cultural heritages, have been working to raise awareness of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution. Here in Vancouver, one of the first Article 9 groups outside of Japan raised funds to send Canadian delegates to the world’s first Global Article 9 Conference held in Chiba, Japan.
As Canadians with Asian connections, we also work together to heal the wounds of Japanese aggressions in the Asia-Pacific region before and during the Second World War, and to learn from the history of devastating wars to create a peaceful future together. For example, every year a group of Canadian educators travels to China and Korea to learn about the history of the Asia Pacific War (1931-1945), including the Nanjing Massacre and Japan’s military sex slavery system. A group of Canadian students also travels to Japan every summer to learn about the history of atomic-bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and these educators and students share their learning with the wider community when they return. Our aim is never to foster bitterness toward a specific country or group of people; instead, our goal is to create an environment for open-minded learning that transcends national borders and cultural differences.
While our educational activities have been well-received among communities in Canada, Asia and beyond, we have witnessed many non-reconciliatory responses from Japan to the global community’s efforts to help bring healing and justice to the war crime victims of this tragic chapter of history. The Japanese Parliament has yet to pass a resolution that fully admits and apologizes for Japan’s responsibility for the loss and suffering of the victims of the Asia-Pacific War, or to pass laws that stipulate compensation to those victims.
Canada is among the nations that are concerned with these issues. On November 28, 2007 the Canadian House of Commons unanimously passed a motion urging the Japanese government to take full responsibility for the involvement of the Japanese Imperial Forces in the system of forced "comfort women”, to offer a formal and sincere apology to these women, and to continue to address those who are affected in the spirit of reconciliation. Although Canada as a nation has not been perfect in addressing its own past wrongdoings, one of Canada’s achievements in this regard has been the compensation of Canadians of Japanese ancestry who were interned during the Asia-Pacific War. We would also like to see such redress offered Japanese government to the Canadian POWs captured in the Battle of Hong Kong and to the victims of China, Korea, the Philippines, and all the other countries and regions where Japan’s military committed war crimes. We would also like to see Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution remain as it is, as we and many people in Asia see Article 9 as Japan’s pledge to the world never again to engage in wars of aggression.
Your Imperial Majesties, we are aware and appreciative of how much you have demonstrated a commitment to peace and history issues. For example, your paying tribute to the Korean victims’ monument when you visited Saipan in 2005 was considered a gesture of reconciliation. When you visited China in 1992, you also expressed regret for the suffering that Japan brought to China during the Asia-Pacific War. Your words were a positive step toward healing a historical wound. Your 1993 visit to the Okinawa sites where tens of thousands of civilians died in the war was also appreciated by many people throughout Japan and beyond. We would like to appeal for your continued efforts to help bring healing and justice to the victims of atrocities committed by Japan before and during the Asia-Pacific War, and for your for support of the endeavours to keep Article 9 intact in the spirit of peace.
Thank you for your attention to our letter, and again, we would like to sincerely welcome you to Canada’s West Coast. We hope you will enjoy the beautiful sunshine, ocean and mountains of our land, and the rich and dynamic communities of our multicultural society.
Yours faithfully,
(Signed by the following organizations)
Thekla Lit
Co-chair, Canada ALPHA (Association for Learning & Preserving the History of WWII in Asia)
Satoko Norimatsu
Founding Director, Peace Philosophy Centre
Ellen Woodsworth
President, Women’s International League for Peace & Freedom, Vancouver
Tatsuo Kage
Member, Human Rights Committee of Japanese Canadian Citizens Association
Fernando P. Salanga
President, Philippine War Veterans & Ex-servicemen Society of BC
Jane Ordinario
Chairperson, Migrante-BC
Beth Dollaga
Chair, Canada-Philippines Solidarity for Human Rights
Kevin Sung,
Director, Korean Drama Club Hanuree
Some related reference materials
Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution is a clause in the National Constitution of Japan that prohibits an act of war by the state. The Constitution came into effect on May 3, 1947, immediately following World War II.
The official English translation of Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution reads:
“ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.”
Japanese war crimes occurred during the period of Asia-Pacific War (1931-1945) have also been described as an Asian Holocaust These war crimes include:-
• Mass killings
• Human experimentation and biological warfare
• Use of chemical weapons
• Preventable famine
• Torture of POWs
• Cannibalism
• Slaved labor
• Military sexual slavery system
• Looting
The Asian Holocaust is often compared to the Nazi Holocaust. The historian Chalmers Johnson, president and co-founder of the Japan Policy Research Institute, an organization promoting public education about Japan and Asia, has written that:
It may be pointless to try to establish which World War Two Axis aggressor, Germany or Japan, was the more brutal to the peoples it victimised. The Germans killed six million Jews and 20 million Russians [i.e. Soviet citizens]; the Japanese slaughtered as many as 30 million Filipinos, Malays, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Indonesians and Burmese, at least 23 million of them ethnic Chinese. Both nations looted the countries they conquered on a monumental scale, though Japan plundered more, over a longer period, than the Nazis. Both conquerors enslaved millions and exploited them as forced labourers—and, in the case of the Japanese, as [forced] prostitutes for front-line troops. If you were a Nazi prisoner of war from Britain, America, Australia, New Zealand or Canada (but not Russia) you faced a 4% chance of not surviving the war; [by comparison] the death rate for Allied POWs held by the Japanese was nearly 30%. (Chalmers Johnson, Looting of Asia, 2003) Note: The press conference was held in the morning of July 9, 2009 to propagate the above Open Letter by multi-ethnic organizations in Canada.
