Archive for
December 14th, 2008
Stories
Brunei: The ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome
Businesses are consistently popping up at different corners of Brunei. Before you know it, we’d be getting a new restaurant, a new cupcake business, a new singer, or a new shopping mall, to name a few. In addition, a significant number of these businesses are owned by the Malay Bruneians - the dominant ethnic group in the country. This just proves to show that the Malays are not lacking in financial resources to start up a business, nor the capabilities to become entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, despite the favourable rise in the local businesses set up by the Malays, a majority of them are not run by the owners. Rouge economist referred this as the ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome:
Take the ‘Ali Baba’ syndrome in the business sector for example. We want to be rich easily and quickly. Instead of genuinely running a business, we sell or rent out our permits and licenses to foreigners. As a result, the number of Brunei malays who have become true entrepreneurs that we can be proud is less than the ten fingers in our hands as compared to the number of business establishments (especially ‘kedai runcit’, barbershops and tailor shops). [‘Kedai runcit’ is a name for convenient store]
Photo by Anak Brunei
The Brunei government is actively making incentives to diversify its economy, and in developing its human capital. However, incentives, plans and ideas will not lead to advancement if the human capital fail to progress. A possible cause for this resistance to further development in the economy is the Bruneian culture itself. Rouge Economist used the example of the work attitude of the Bruneian Malays at the workplace:
Another example relates to the work attitude of the Brunei malays. The five-tea-break-a-day routine becomes the culture in the government sector. The attitude of ‘karang tah’ [translation: “Maybe later”, or “I’ll do it later.”] has lost the government millions of dollars in terms of productivity and even revenue-generation. As a result, the government sector, which is the first employment choice of any Brunei malay, is slow, inefficient and backward so much so that it can take weeks to send a letter within one tiny district, and months for the results of a few applications. (Come on! What is our population again?)
Therefore, it is important for Brunei to focus on creating an effective environment that could induce productivity amongst the Malays, and the Bruneian workforce in general. As development will only be a distant dream if the people behind these economic entities fail to progress.
Politician bloggers in the Philippines
Filipino internet users are increasing every year. Majority of those who use the internet are reading blogs. It is not surprising that politicians and political parties are now bringing their campaigns in the internet. But sad to say, there are few elected Filipino politicians who are blogging.
It seems Congressman Ruffy Biazon from Muntinlupa (south of Metro Manila) is the most consistent politician blogger in the Philippines. His blog posts are readable and he interacts with readers and constituents. In a blog entry, he writes about the value of answering the emails sent by concerned citizens:
“I have just concluded answering my e-mail and reading the blogs of various personalities, capping a four-hour straight marathon in front of my computer.
“A question that comes to my mind after all that mental exercise is, is there a point to answering all these emails? Am I just wasting my time giving a detailed response to each and every email to me? Actually, I can simply send back an acknowledgment (” thank you for writing, I will ponder on what you said…”) and therefore disqualify any comment that I don’t respond to messages sent to me.
“But that would be a disservice to the public. As a public official, I do have that obligation to respond. And respond substantially. The public deserves, and it actually it's their right, to be answered by government officials.”
Senator Antonio Trillanes maximized the internet to win in last year’s elections. The former rebel soldier was in detention during the campaign period. Since he couldn’t travel his team created a blog to reach out to voters. His Friendster account became very popular. Friendster is the number one social networking site in the Philippines.
Trillanes is still in jail. A few months ago, he published his accomplishment report in the internet:
“Inside a jail cell, you are not witness to the state of the country with your own eyes: the rising cost of living in unequal proportion with a failing economic order. You are unable to hear the sentiments of our people first-hand: pervasive cries for justice and accountability against perpetrators of political violence and corruption. You appear insulated from what others endure outside these walls: the disillusionment of a people in the government that blatantly betrays its own obligation to serve them.
“But out of duty and desire, I refuse not to see, listen and feel. Transcending the challenge of circumstance, I answer to your collective call to action as duly elected Senator of this country.”
Senator Mar Roxas invites netizens to add him as a friend in Facebook. In launching his blog, he asked the youth to join a virtual rally against the Value Added Taxes imposed by the government. He was the keynote speaker in the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards. In his speech, he reflects on his blogging experience:
“I’ve been engaged in a little bit of blogging over a period of time, and always I’m amazed at how such a public activity, such an engagement with a multitude of nameless, faceless people whom you don’t know, are out there and who may peruse, go over what you write, can at the same time feel very, very private.
“As you sit in front of your keyboard and compose your thoughts, as you reflect on some of the ideas that course through your mind, and go through what it is that you would like to communicate, it is in a very introspective activity, at least I find that for myself. And as I reflect upon it, I think that on one hand, it’s so introspective, it’s so solitary in fact. And at the same time, you really are communicating with multitudes all over the world.”
Early this month, Senator Chiz Escudero, through his blog, admitted that he dreams of becoming the next president of the country:
“Dahil sa mga naglalabasang surveys na kasali ako sa top 5 ng mga presidentiables, marami ang nagtatanong kung nangangarap daw ba akong maging presidente ng Pilipinas sa 2010. Ang masasabi ko lang ay oo. May pangarap ako tulad ng sinumang pulitiko siguro ngayon na humawak ng mas mataas na puwesto. Ang maganda sa pangarap, ito ay libre at hindi kinakailangang bayaran. Subalit ang mahalaga sa akin ay hindi kung ano ang gusto ko. Ang mahalaga, ano ba ang gusto ng ating mga kababayan na tatakbuhan ko o kung gusto ba nila akong tumakbo sa darating na halalan.”
Governor Among Ed Panlilio, a Catholic priest who defeated wealthy candidates and traditional politicians, became a blogger last June. His first post was written in front of supporters and other bloggers in the provincial capitol:
“The amonged.org blogsite allows for that imagination to come through and be expressed in a new form. It also allows for a healthy dialogue with the elders, with which I confess to belong. In a movie that was filmed long before you were born, a protagonist remarked, “what we have here is a failure to communicate.” Indeed, when everyone talks at the same time, there is no moment left to listen. Putting our thoughts, opinions, perceptions and perspectives in a written form allows for more time to reflect on what each of us really wants to say, and allows further for a more sober and contemplated response.
“I am excited to hear your voice, most specifically your take on how governance and politics should proceed in this country. I am equally excited to hear the reactions of other people on your positions. We are thankful that the internet has allowed this to happen, enabling us to listen, as it were, to what other people have to say, notably those from other countries who have their own templates of experience, and from whom we can also learn so much.”
Mayor Jesse Robredo, recipient of numerous awards on leadership, is blogging through Oddball. In one of his posts, he discussed the importance of civil society participation in the governance process:
“Elected officials come and go. If there is one thing that is permanent in a locality, it is the constituency. A broad network of civil society organizations that represents the different sectors in the community can very well mirror the sentiments, hopes and dreams of the Nagueno.”
“I have often emphasized that at the end of the day, NGOs should draw their strength from their own selves. The political realities require that they must have the numbers, significant enough, so as not to be ignored by the important political players. Otherwise, they have to rely on the “benevolence” of an enlightened leadership to allow them to exert their influence in the governance process.”
Congressman Pablo John Garcia of Cebu province advises politicians to blog their replies against offensive media reports. Councilor Peter Lavina of Davao City (southern Philippines) is disappointed that only few politicians are blogging:
“Last week, I reiterated my frustrations over the lack of interest among public officials to blog and use this new tool to reach out to their constituents. For the past year and a half, I have been promoting blogging as tool for participatory governance but I got little support.
“There are now an estimated 200,000 bloggers in the country. Yet, we can only count a few public officials among them. I dream of the day when we can reach 100, then 1000 elected officials blogging in the country. That way, I am sure we can make a big difference in this, sadly, indifferent world.”
The blog, Opposite of Apathy, is maintained by several young and promising leaders who might be running for the Senate in 2010. Mayor JV Estrada, son of a former Philippine president, is one of the members of this group blog. A few months ago, he wrote his thoughts on public service:
“Ang inyong lingkod ay sinuwerte sa dahilang hindi ko hanap-buhay ang pulitika. Nagkataong ako ay isa ng matagumpay na negosyante bago sumabak sa pulitika. Sa madaling salita, hindi ko kailangan ang pulitika upang mabuhay, sapagka’t ako po ay may pinagkakakitaan sa aking mga negosyo.
“Nagkaroon ng pagkakataon ang inyong lingkod na matikman kung paano ang mabuhay na parang prinsipe sa loob ng palasyo, at natikman ko na rin kung ano ang pakiramdam ng nilait at inapi matapos na mapatalsik sa palasyo.”
“Your humble servant had the opportunity to taste the life of a prince inside the palace, and I also tasted the feeling of having been insulted and oppressed after being ousted from the palace.”
Councilor Doray Delarmente made history by being the first elected doctor - politician in Quezon City; first Independent candidate that won in the district; and the first relative of a former incumbent councilor that won in the elections. She is also perhaps the first Filipino blogger to become a politician. She uploaded a campaign video:
The Batasan 6 blog was set-up to record the views and experience of five leftist solons who sought sanctuary inside the Parliament building after the government accused them of rebellion.
Senator Kiko Pangilinan launched ktube – campaign videos of his provincial sorties during the election campaign last year. A sample of ktube video:
A youtube video of Congressman Raul Gonzalez Jr. of Iloilo City (central Philippines), bungee jumping in Macau Tower.
GV author Karlo Mongaya contributed notes in writing this article.
Burkina Faso: 10th Anniversary of journalist Norbert Zongo's Murder
Ten years ago, on the 13th of December 1998, the bullet-ridden bodies of journalist Norbert Zongo and three friends were found in a burned-out car on the road to Sapouy, about 100km from the capital. Norbert Zongo, editor of the weekly L'Indépendant and one of the best known journalists in Burkina Faso, was assassinated while investigating the biggest story at the time: a murder at the presidential palace and criminal allegations against the President's brother.
Picture of a remembrance march for Norbert Zongo on the 14th of April 2007 during the International Festival for the Freedom of Speech and of the Press (FILEP), from the organizers website.
Mohammed Keita wrote in the blog of the Committee to Protect Journalists:
Zongo was just one of 24 journalists killed in the line of duty in 1998. He is among the 70 percent of journalists and media workers around the world who die not in crossfire but because they are deliberately targeted for what they have written or aired.
[…] Murder is the ultimate form of censorship: The killing of a prominent journalist like Zongo casts an invisible chill on the media's ability to probe issues of public interest. Worse, an unsolved journalist's murder sends the message that the enemies of the press enjoy total impunity. CPJ research has found that in nations worldwide where journalists are murdered, there is justice in less than 15 percent of the cases.
Although the 10th anniversary of Zongo's unsolved assassination passed with his killers still at large (a judge dismissed charges in 2006 against the half a dozen suspect in the case) Zongo's widow, colleagues, and human rights activists are using the occasion to demand justice. A website called Norbert Zongo: 10 ans d'impunité (Norbert Zongo: 10 years of impunity) was set up to campaign for the remembrance of Norbert Zongo, and a a petition has been launched to collect signatures and force the Burkinabé government to reopen the case:
For 10 years, the media as well as hundreds of thousands of peoples have mobilised to have light shed on the assassination of this great journalist. Let us refuse impunity through the cancelling of the case. Join us to carry on the struggle in order to discover the murderers and their silent partners. Sign the petition for the reopening of the case. Get involved in the strong desire of the Burkinabe to find out truth and render justice properly.
Several burkinabé bloggers, such as Ramata Sore [Fr], have urged their readers to sign this petition for the reopening of the case.
Among the many recent musical hommages to Norbert Zongo, Augustin Scalbert in a press roundup about the anniversary at the news portal Rue89 [Fr] chose a song by ivorian reggae singer Tiken Jah Fakoly, who considers Zongo one of the “martyrs” of the continent. The lyrics say:
Ils ont oublié Norbert Zongo… oublié
[…] Mais le sorcier oublie toujours, les parents de la victime n'oublient jamais c'est pourquoi c'est pourquoi nous pouvons pardonner mais jamais oublier nous allons pardonner mais jamais oublier.
[…] But the sorcerer always forgets, the parents of the victims never forget, that's why, that's why
we cannot forgive but we can never forget, we are going to forgive but never forget.
The 10th anniversary blog also gives an overview [Fr] of the unconclusive investigation of Norbert Zongo's murder that was closed in July 2006. L'Observateur Paalga [Fr] also wonders about what happened to the initial half a dozen suspects of the murders. In a different article at L'Observateur Paalga [Fr] Boureima Diallo writes:
Norbert, sans conteste, devrait être fier qu’à cause de lui, ou grâce à lui d’importantes réformes institutionnelles aient été opérées au sein du paysage politico-administratif burkinabè.
[…] Rarement un meurtre aura été autant médiatisé au Burkina. Et pourtant, il était loin d’être le premier assassinat qualifié de « politique » dans notre pays. Mais à ce jour, soit 10 ans après ce quadruple meurtre, ce dossier n’en finit pas de piétiner en faisant du surplace.
[…] Seldom a murder has been so widely covered in the media in Burkina. And yet it was far from being the first assassination qualified as “political” in our country. But today, 10 years after the quadruple murder, this case is still on a standstill.
Mohammed Keita of the blog of the Committee to Protect Journalistswrites about the silence surrounding the case:
The Zongo case remains a sensitive topic for probing journalists and taboo in government circles. Infomercials advocating for the reopening of the case have been running on two private television channels, Canal 3 and Sport-Music TV, but not the government-controlled national broadcaster RTB […]. No government representative was expected to take part in the activities, according to local journalists.
Last year, on the 9th anniversary of the murders the blog Africa Flak wondered:
How many years can people commemorate the same death? How many years can calls for justice go out regarding the same murders?
[Fr] Today, the streets of downtown Ouagadougou will be once again full of people with their signs and cries for justice. It’s the ninth time they’ve done this. But silence is the only response they will get.
Nabi Youssfou [Fr] gives a possible answer:
La justice est fatiguée de chercher mais les Burkinabè ne sont toujours pas fatigués de rappeler qu’il y a eu quadruple assassinat le 13 décembre 1998. Ils le feront encore le 13 décembre 2008. Ils le font parce que ce crime est d’une « historicité jamais égalée ». De par sa cruauté. Il a eu lieu sous le régime de Blaise Compaoré. Juste un peu d’histoire. On ne racontera pas l’histoire du Burkina et de ce régime en occultant ces crimes.
Angola: A country with huge, untapped tourism potential
Angola, as everyone knows, is a beautiful country. With around 1,246,700 km2, Angola retains the most diverse landscapes, from Benguela's naturally warm water beaches to the dense and rich Maiombe forest in Cabinda or the legendary Namibe desert, the only place in the world where the special welwitschia mirabilis grows.
Welwitschia Mirabilis, photo by flickr user calips96 used under a Creative Commons license.
Despite having these postcard lanscapes, Angola is yet to flourish as a tourist destination. There is little infrastructure to properly accommodate those who want to come just to visit the country. However, it is easy to see the accelerated reconstruction everywhere, which indicates that the development in tourism is on its way. According to the Hospitality and Tourism Minister, Jorge Valentim Alicerces, “after achieving peace, Angola will become a tourist destination par excellence thanks to the country’s potential for eco-tourism, the richness of its traditional culture, beautiful warm water beaches, vast open plains, mountains that scrape the skies of Africa. Angolan's current atmosphere of security turns it into a region where foreign investors come with great enthusiasm, because they hope to find investment opportunities in construction, transport, public works, health, communication, in the hotel and tourist sectors and in several areas of service.”
Meanwhile, Angolans and foreigners enjoy the dazzling natural beauty that the country offers. Brazilian blogger Spindola [pt] writes at his amazement at visiting Huíla province:
“A Huíla é com certeza, entre as províncias que visitei, a que tem melhor estrutura. Além disso o Lubango é uma cidade linda, conhecida pelos seus moradores como a Europa de África. O frio durante o dia e principalmente à noite, dá o ar aconchegante a esse lugar. O Lubango é famoso não só pelo seu clima como também pela serra da Leba. Faltam-me palavras para descrever tamanha beleza. É com certeza dos lugares mais lindos que tive a oportunidade de conhecer. A estrada da serra visa ligar o Namibe à Huíla. Dizem que antes da estrada era necessário dar um contorno muito grande. A obra foi realizada por uma mulher, uma inglesa. Fico imaginando como deve ter sido essa aventura. Como se não bastasse a estrada que é uma beleza estonteante, no mesmo local uma cachoeira maravilhosa. O barulho das águas preenche aquele lugar como se fosse uma música. Um frio gostoso da serra dá um ar todo romântico. As nuvens que se formam no local ficam abaixo do seu olhar, parece que estamos acima do céu. Por trás das nuvens de fim de tarde, o sol projectava uma luz. Não consigo achar definição melhor para essa luz que “ a imagem de Deus”. Todo visitante ou morador de Angola deveria conhecer o Lubango. Realmente vale muito a pena o passeio”.
“Lubango, the European Africa”, photo by Spindola
“Leba Hills”, photo by Spindola
Travelling around this mysterious Angola full of baobabs and covered in the Crimson Acacia's red bloom is, indeed, wonderful, but as mentioned above, the country is not ready to host tourists. The roads are damaged by holes, and the lack of good hotels or lodgings and restaurants in small cities makes everything more complicated. Travelling to some cities sometimes becomes a headache. Peter, from the Hotel Luanda blog, described a trip through the Malange territory on the way to the awesome Kalandula falls:
“Deixamos cedo a cidade de Malange rumo às Quedas de Kalandula. O percurso fez-se em constante deslumbramento por entre buracos de estrada e muitas paragens para contemplar e gravar tantas imagens de rara e enorme beleza. O enorme capim cortado pelas águas de um rio que serpenteia pela planície e que sob ela passa várias várias vezes e pelas sanzalas junto à estrada, onde nascem mais olhares de crianças por cada carro que passa. Chegamos enfim a Kalandula, uma pequena e acolhedora povoação situada no alto de um planalto, imponente como uma rainha que do seu trono observa suas terras ao longe. Conserva ainda algumas marcas do colonialismo nas casas, igrejas e costumes da terra que tem simpatia como sinónimo. Chegamos logo depois às Quedas de Kalandula. As segundas maiores quedas de água de todo o continente africano, com cerca de 100 metros de vertiginosa altura. Vistámos também Pungo Andongo. Uma povoação escondida no seio das pedras altas que nos faz logo pensar que foram as próprias rochas que nasceram em sua volta, como uma muralha para a proteger do resto do mundo. Três ou quatro casas, uma igreja em ruínas, um posto médico e uma escola renovada…quase como uma miragem impossível…como é possível existir vida ali? Mas existe. Compreendi que ainda se pode encontrar em Angola a harmonia entre o homem e a natureza”.
Kalandula Waterfall, photo by Hotel Luanda blog
According to África Minha [Africa of Mine, pt] blog, a luxury hotel enterprise with 28 rooms, 4 executive and 4 presidential suites as well as a swimming pool was opened in the province of Malange this year. It is the first hotel of its kind in this part of the country. Malanje was “rewarded” with a luxury hotel, but other provinces will have the same privilege, with the construction of resorts, residential hotels and other similar investments.
Because it is an untapped field, tourism in Angola attracts the attention of foreign businessmen, including Portuguese investors. But the well publicised difficulties in obtaining visas makes these building projects a difficult task to complete. Feliciano J. R. Cangue [pt] interestingly analyses the situation on his blog:
“Em todo o mundo o turismo é um sector da economia que se devidamente explorado, pode gerar novos postos de trabalho e assumir uma grande participação na renda nacional. O nosso país que hoje possui cerca de 80% da sua mão de obra activa na informalidade, pode atrair esse fluxo para o país. Para tal, o mercado turístico precisa desenvolver projectos que o impulsionem e potencializem o mercado turístico. Isso pode resultar em desenvolvimento económico e postos de trabalho. O turismo em muitas situações, ajuda a fixar o homem no campo, principalmente no momento em que presenciamos o êxodo rural. No nosso caso específico, sempre que ouço falar de turismo, fala-se normalmente da construção de hotéis. É verdade que a situação é crítica nessa área devido à guerra que o país passou. Precisamos investir de forma intensa na divulgação e fidelização do cliente. Isso envolve um bom atendimento ao turista. Para tal, pessoas que moram em locais turísticos precisam ser treinadas para desenvolvam espírito hospitaleiro recebendo os turistas com o máximo de boa vontade, presteza e simpatia e porque não aprender os principais termos que lhes permitam estabelecer a comunicação com turistas. Além disso, precisam preservar (livrar do mal) e conservar (manter) os locais turísticos como: as nossas florestas tropicais, formações rochosas extraordinárias, rios, lagos, quedas de água, parques nacionais, montanhas, grutas, praias, etc. Os profissionais da área precisam agir de uma forma inovadora, não deixando que apenas o ministro do turismo se debata sozinho. O sector precisa oferecer a prestação de serviços e atendimento de alta qualidade aos turistas. As embaixadas e consulados precisam também facilitar a concessão de vistos de turista. Precisamos sair do amadorismo. Temos tudo para sermos o maior paraíso turístico africano”.
Angolan tourism has been growing positively, as shown by results achieved and statistical data. Angola Xyami [pt] brings together the stats for the last decade's development, and hopes that “tourism in Angola reaches new prospects and exceeds the 87,400 tourists received in 2007″:
O ano de 1999 registou um movimento de 45,5 mil turistas, em 2000 de 50,7 mil e em 2001 de 67,4 mil. Em termos relativos, esta evolução revela um aumento de 11,42% entre 1999 e 2000 e 32,9% de 2000 a 2001, mas entre 2002 e 2006, o movimento chegou a mais de 55 por cento. Do ponto de vista das principais regiões emissoras de turistas para Angola, a Europa continua a ser a maior com um total de 30,8 mil turistas em 2000, representando 61% do total geral das chegadas às fronteiras. Em 2001, passou para 38,2 mil turistas, representando 76,4%, dados que sofreram alteração de mais 10% até Setembro de 2007.
For more information on tourism in Angola, please visit the Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Washington, DC website. For photos, a great blog to visit is Angola em Fotos [Angola in Photos, pt].
Japan: Controversy over Imperial Succession
On the 1st of December, the seventh birthday of Princess Aiko (official title: 敬宮愛子内親王殿下, Toshi no miya Aiko naishinnō denka) [en], while the mainstream media in Japan were busy reporting that the princess had a cold and could not attend a birthday party organized in her honour, some bloggers were writing instead about the succession controversy [en].
After Princess Aiko was born in 2001, the question of a possible Empress and the acceptance of a cognatic primogeniture[en] were thoroughly debated by politicians, opinion-leaders and ordinary people. The possibility of a revision to the Imperial Household Law, which since 1947 has disallowed women from becoming Empress, was even discussed by then-PM Koizumi, attracting criticism from many in the country. Although the issue was on the verge of bringing a change to — or at least spark debate about — the outdated Imperial system, however, it has almost completely disappeared from the media and public debate since the birth of a boy in the Imperial Family. Prince Hisahito(悠仁親王, Hisahito shinnō), son of the Crown Prince's younger brother Akishino, was born in 2006. Despite being taken for granted by many that Hisahito-sama is the only likely candidate to succeed to the Imperial Throne, however, the fact that some Japanese bloggers decided to take up this question demonstrates that the issue may not be so clear-cut after all.
An animated parody by id: GreatMarta, which sums up the Imperial Succession Controversy.
Blogger Nôzan (ノーザン) at Nôzan no chotto shita hanashi (ノーザンのちょっとした話) describes the political debate concerning revision to the Imperial Household Law and the cultural background necessary to understand why so many people were against it.
愛子さまが誕生されてからは愛子さまが将来は皇室を継ぐものと私は考えていた。
しかしそこには男尊女卑の時代に作られた皇室典範や古くから（いにしえの時代）からある頭の堅い慣習が立ちふさがった。
実際、小泉政権時に郵政民営化とともに女性への皇位継承を認めるため皇室典範の改正についても議論がされていた。
郵政民営化の際に野田聖子氏等一部の国会議員や特定郵便局に関係ある人間が反対を唱えたが皇室典範の改正は郵政民営化とは比較にならないほどの反対運動があった。平沼赳夫氏をはじめとする女性への皇位継承に反対する超党派の勢力があった他、国民の中にも女性への皇位継承に反対という姿勢の人間がいた。
[…]
ただ悠仁さまが誕生した事により下手をすれば国家を二分し兼ねない皇室典範の改正論議に一度ピリオドが打たれた事だけは確かである。ただこれで問題の根本は解決していない。なぜなら今後産まれてくる皇族の方が男子とは限らないからである。
[…]
現状のままであれば40年から50年後に愛子さまか悠仁さまが天皇に即位されるであろう。しかしその後の皇室のためにも皇室典範の改正論議は急ぐべき事案であると考える。
私は皇室は長兄の子女である愛子様が皇族を継ぐべきであると考えている。
I believe that the successor should be Princess Aiko, who is the daughter of the elder brother.
[…]
ただ日本は古来より男尊女卑が強いお国柄、国技相撲も女子は汚らわしき者として未だに土俵入りを禁じている。また同じように宮内庁等の日本の官僚・役人も頭が堅いのであろう。日本国憲法が制定され60年が経過するが未だに一つも改正されていない。時代のニーズに合わせた物が必要であるというのに固定観念から離れることができない。
Among the Japanese bloggers who are against the matrilineal Imperial succession, many claim the genetic matter as being the main reason why the same genealogy should be maintained by choosing only male heirs. id:shirusu (シルス), for example, wrote about how she changed her mind from being pro a possible Empress to becoming contrary to this eventuality.
悠仁親王殿下の誕生で、一時期出ていた女系天皇議論はおさまって
いますね。私も実はその議論が出た当時は「それもいいじゃないか、過去にも
女性の天皇いたでしょう？」ぐらいに思っていたのです。若い頃は（当時すでに
全然若くないけど＾＾；）天皇家の大切さがよくわかっていなかったのです。
今後、もしまたその議論がもし出てきたなら、それは絶対だめ！！！！と反対
しますね。朝から晩までFAXメール送りまくり作戦です（笑）
At the time when the issue first came out, I thought to myself: “That's alright, isn't it? After all, in the past there were Empresses, weren't there?” When I was young (I'm not so young anymore… ) I didn't understand the importance of the Imperial Household. If the same debate was to come up again the future, I would be absolutely against it!!!! And I would send faxes [to the Imperial Household Agency] non-stop from morning to night.
万世一系で累々と続いてきた天皇家を私たちの一存で変更しまうことは
絶対してはいけないことだと思います。[…] 2000年も一つの家系の王をいただいている国は世界中探してもないの
ですから・・・。フェミニズムで論じる輩もいるのですが（かつての私もそうだった）
フェミニズムはまったく関係ないのです。遺伝子の問題ですから(;´Д｀)
総理大臣なら女性であろうとなんら問題はありませんが。
Of course if a woman became Prime Minister, this would not be an issue at all.
Similarly, blogger Take （テイク）at Metaltake, claiming that today's Japanese Imperial Family members descend from a genetically uninterrupted dynasty, writes about the importance of perpetuating the imperial genealogy.
某週刊誌でこの話題を取り上げていて全く見当違いな事を言う論客ばっか取り上げていた。
その中で一番多い意見が「女性天皇を認めないのは女性差別だ」という意見。
俺も以前はそんな意見言ってましたが・・・・。
[…]
天皇家の重みと血の繋がりと歴史を軽く考えてたのかもしれない。
I used to say the same thing, but…
[…]
Maybe I undervalued history and the connection between blood relations and the importance of the Imperial Dynasty.
まず天皇家の歴史ですが、紀元前660年2月11日に神武天皇が初代天皇として即位している。
それから２６６８年経った現在、ずっと男系天皇を守り、それが１２５代続いている。
その歴史の中で何度か女性天皇は誕生しています。
しかしその女性天皇の子供が天皇になる事はなかった。
何故かと言えばですが、昔で言えば伝統ある血統を天皇家以外の男の血で変える事を許さなかったなどがある。
今で言えば、愛子様が天皇になってお子様が生まれても次の天皇はそのお子様に継がせることはなく、秋篠宮悠仁親王が天皇になられるという事ですね。
ところで。Ｙ染色体というのを御存知だろうか。
The patrilinear lineage has been kept alive 2668 years up to today, continuing over 125 generations. In the past, many Empresses succeeded to the throne, but no child to them became Emperor.
That is because, in the ancient times, only men who had blood relations with the Imperial Family were allowed carry on the tradition and the genealogy. In modern times, if Pincess Aiko became Empress, her child wouldn't be able to succeed to the throne and Prince Akishino would become Emperor.
By the way, do you know what a Y chromosome is?
要するにＹ染色体とは男しか持っておらず、天皇家は長い間この染色体を維持してきた事になる。
そしてこのＹ染色体というのは、何万年経とうが引き継がれる限り変わる事はありません。
[…]
そこでもし愛子様が天皇になった場合はどうなるでしょう。
将来御結婚なされて御子息が生まれた場合。男が生まれようが女が生まれようが、Ｙ染色体が神武天皇のものから全く違う男性のＹ染色体に取って代わられてしまいます。
ここで何千年と続いていた天皇家の血筋は途絶えてしまう事になります。
これが「女“系”天皇」反対の理由です。
「女性天皇」は良いでしょう。
反対はしません。
しかしその後の天皇はどうするのかという議論がされていない。
If in the future she got married and a child was born, no matter if it were a boy or a girl, he would have the Y chromosome inherited not from that Jinmu Emperor but from a completely unrelated man, and the lineage perpetrated for thousands of years would be interrupted.
This is why I am against the “matrilineal” succession. I am not against a “woman” emperor. But there has been no debate over what the next emperor would do.
天皇家の血筋と歴史を継続させるのか、はたまた断絶させて「天皇」という地位と称号だけ残すのか。
これは建国以来諸外国にはない世界で一番古い歴史を持つ日本の象徴の存続に関わる大問題だ。
This is the big issue that Japan has been concerned with since the nation was founded, and that deals with the continuance of [this nation's] symbol [i.e. the Imperial Family], which is unique and the oldest in the world.
On the other hand, blogger yoko davis, in the entry “Betraying history…?” [歴史を裏切る。。。？] posted a few months ago, expresses her opinion about the claim of uninterrupted descent and the necessity to change the system in accordance with the needs of the time.
この問題は、愛子さまの誕生、雅子さまの流産・適応障害から発生し、多くの日本人に天皇家とは何かと問いかけはじめたと思う。
残念ながら悠仁さまが産まれてから（どうあがいても当時の小泉首相の皇室典範の改正への計らいとしかいえないが）、世間からはこの問題を直視する機会が減ってきていると思う。メディアが取り上げなくなったからであろう。
Unfortunately, after Prince Akishino’s Birth (despite the struggles, the proposal to reform the Imperial Household Law was thanks to then PM Koizumi), the chances for the public to hear about this issue decreased, probably because the media started not to care about it anymore.
しかし、日本人が見つめなければいけない問題は、メディアが騒ごうが騒ぐまいが存在する。
[…]
女系天皇に対し始めは反対だった私も、悠仁さまが生まれてから、変わった。なぜ40歳にもなった紀子様が男子を生んだのか。しかも小泉前首相が皇室典範に手を加えることを認可しようとしている真っ只中に。そして国民の誰もが、まだ生まれていない子供が男児であることを確信したはずである。でなければ、紀子様があの時期に子供を産む理由など、どこにもありはしないからだ。推測は証拠で証明されない限り推測に過ぎないのだろうが、私の推測に反対する人がいれば、その人はあまりに単純すぎる。
天皇家は1500年（神道に基づき、日本国が誕生してから現在まで）の歴史があるという。しかしその間、どのようにして男系が保たれてきたかは、誰にもわか らない。判りようがないのである。それを一夫一婦の時代になっても保とうというのは、あまりにも無理があり過ぎないか？平成天皇から初めて民間からの皇后 選びとなって、天皇家は血の保存という概念を変えてきた。美智子様の時代から、多くの古典的な天皇家の子供たちの教育の仕方も変わってきた（乳母制度の廃 止など）。
日本の皇室は、それに見合った速度で変化してきているのであろう。その歴史から閉鎖的な部分がぬぐえないが、それも日本の皇室を位置づけるものとして存在しても良いと思う。ただ、歴史に翻弄される子供や女性は、文明国日本でこれから生まれてはいけないと思う。悠仁さまや紀子様で十分だろう。
彼の誕生で私たちは自分たちに問いかけなければならない。
私は女系天皇に賛成する。
Taking his birth as a starting point, we have to question ourselves.
I agree with matrilineal succession.
Links for Sun, 2008-12
The defense team of Alberto Fujimori has completed its presentation of document evidence in the trial of the former Peruvian president for human rights violations, writes Fujimori on Trial.
Em, a devoted Taiwanese female anarchist and civil media journalist expresses her support for Greece students. She remarks that Greece students are the most active and influential among global anarchists(zh).
The Education and Culture Ministry of Uruguay recently opened a Center in Montevideo, where residents can take workshops on the use of internet. Fernando da Rosa writes that users can choose between using Free Software or Private Software [es].
Lúcia Malla [pt] and a group of friends - all of whom have twitter accounts - show what happens when twitter addicts meet in a bar: they keep twiterring offline. See the pictures. “Experiment's general conclusion: the more difficult thing on the offline twitter is to design your avatar. ;) (and calligraphy books for everyone as Christmas gift …: D: D)”
Miguel Centellas of Pronto* examines the National Electoral Court under the leadership of José Luís Exeni, which”has become one of the most institutionalized instruments of the legal framework of Bolivia’s democracy.”
Many community radio stations in Paraguay have to operate with pirate frequencies due to the unavailability of space writes Carlos Rodríguez of Rescatar [es].
IZO links to LJ user du-jingli (RUS), who has scanned four pages from the 916-page Russian-Chinese Slang Dictionary and has so far received nearly 500 comments. (Warning: the post contains obscenities, in Russian and in Chinese.)
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