Why Our Hearts Beat Differently

Below is original letter sent to Today in response to an article about recent Chinese & Korean demonstrations against Japanese WWII actions. The cut-down version published make things appear much more shallow then I intended and did not contain any of the references I provided. Also, the different title used indicate the editors probably missed out on the key point I was trying to make (see my feedback to Today at bottom). Or presumably they did not think Singaporeans would be interested. That's perhaps the reason why Singaporeans did not feel as much as the Chinese & Koreans. How to if the people that feed them their daily doses of 'news' are the same?


{Original Letter}
Why Our Hearts Beat Differently

I refer to article “Why my heart does not beat for China” published on 27 April 2005. The writer was right in saying that people should not react to any event from the standpoint of their ethnicity. He should perhaps also have stated that people should also not do so from the standpoint of nationality (which is a relatively new concept from a historical context) but should perhaps do so from that of human decency. From this standpoint, we should perhaps try and make sense of the following observations from the writer:
1. ‘the vehement protests seem limited to China and Korea’
2. ‘that expressions of nationalist feelings in China do not strike a chord with Chinese Singaporeans’

To understand item 1, we should firstly start by recognizing that China and Korea are the Asian nations that suffered the most under Japan (far greater than the others by any measure).

Secondly, we should try to better understand the history and considerations behind the treaty of surrender of Japan. Geo-politics is a keyword here. (http://guywong.home.netcom.com/html/IvyRecon.htm).

Thirdly, we should find out more about the Yasukuni shrine which also ‘houses’ the graves of WWII Japanese war criminals, and what the ‘temple’ represents. The following could have been mistaken as a ‘mission statement’ in another context but was extracted from this encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasukuni_Shrine):

A pamphlet published by the shrine says "War is a really tragic thing to happen, but it was necessary in order for us to protect the independence of Japan and to prosper together with Asian neighbors." In others, the shrine runs a museum on the history of Japan, commemorating the soldiers who fought for Japan, remembering them as Kami (gods),and the English website claims that "Japan’s dream of building a Great East Asia was necessitated by history and it was sought after by the countries of Asia."

Item 2 can perhaps be explained by asking the following questions:
- how many Singaporeans are aware of the above?
- when do Singaporeans ever feel strongly about anything? (may be with the exception of making money)

It is also not uncommon for less informed humans who tend to be selfish to behave in a manner that basically says ‘if it does not affect me, it does not bother me’. To put this in reverse perspective, as far as I know the water issue with Malaysia and that of the IRs ‘strongly felt’ by Singaporeans also did not strike a chord with the people in China and Korea. That does not say anything about how far China or Korea has come as nations.


{Version published by Today}
Editor comments: IT'S a sign of how far we have come as a nation, that expressions of nationalist feelings in China don't resonate with Chinese Singaporeans, said Siew Kum Hong in yesterday's News Comment, "Why my heart does not beat for China". Readers give a wide range of reactions.

"If it does not affect me, it does not bother me"
THE writer was right in saying that people should not react to any event from the standpoint of their ethnicity. He should perhaps also have stated that people should not do so from the standpoint of nationality, but perhaps from that of human decency.

The writer observed that the vehement protests seem limited to China and Korea and that the expressions of nationalist feelings in China did not strike a chord with Chinese Singaporeans.

First, note that China and Korea are the two Asian nations that suffered the most under Japan.

Second, how many Singaporeans are aware of this? And when do Singaporeans ever feel strongly about anything (maybe with the exception of money)?

It is not uncommon for less informed humans who tend to be selfish to behave in a manner that basically says: "If it does not affect me, it does not bother me."

To put this in reverse perspective, as far as I know, the water issue with Malaysia and that of the IRs "strongly felt" by Singaporeans also did not strike a chord with the people in China and Korea. That does not say anything about how far China or Korea have come as nations.


{'Feedback' I sent to Today on the publication}

Hi,

I understand the need to be succinct but your published version of my letter had key references I made left out thereby making its contents appear shallow and in the process proved the one key point I was making - the lack of in-depth knowledge of world/historical events is the reason why Singaporeans do not feel strongly about anything. Similar behavior on the part of the providers of their daily dosage of 'news' does not help.