CHINA VS. JAPAN

OK, this is not a football post so it is nothing related to their football records. It's about the history book issue again.

Protests with anti-Japanese rallies in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Tianjin seem to be going on furiously. My mom currently is in Shanghai. Hope she is alright since she doesn't look like a Japanese at all.

This sensitive issue about the history books, the claims by the comfort women from the Japanese government as well as visits by Japanese leaders to the Yasukuni shrine honouring war dead including all the convicted war criminals are the issues which will forever make China and South Korea furious.

We have Japanese restaurants, businesses and cars being attacked with rocks and eggs as well as a restaurant was completely destroyed.This protest is sparked by the Japanese government's approval of revamped history textbooks which Beijing felt made light of the nation's atrocities in World War II.

History is always a very interesting thing. It claims to tell the truth, yet it covers all the shames of the nation itself. I know Malaysia did that too, especially the complicated merger with Singapore as well as all the sensitive issues of how my state and Sabah joined Malaysia. I heard the Singapore side of the story and both versions are different. There are many records that can be disputed especially how the records are different from the Chinese records when the Chinese came to Malaya.

History to me is always siding your own self. You only tell nice things about yourself, your own country and bad about everybody else. However, the magnitude and impact of the Japanese invasion was so huge that it affects so many countries and people that it is impossible that you can hide it.

Beijing has appeared to encourage anti-Japanese demonstrations that first erupted last week soon after UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged a reform plan be put in place that could give Japan a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

"I'm here for the love of my country and I think by opposing Japan I can show this. Japan has never apologised sincerely for their mistakes," said a graduate student surnamed Su.

On the famous Bund, students wearing T-shirts yelled: "You can forgive history but you cannot distort history".

Yes, it is quite true, distorting the history to brainwash your new generations of children is not an issue to be accepted, especially by the countries that suffered because of the war. Those who don't give a damn are those who are not affected by the torrid experience of the war.

Another sensitive issue that will become very complicated is the oil and gas dispute in East China Sea. Japan would let its companies drill for oil and gas in the disputed sea. Beijing, which began drilling in 2003, called the move a "provocation".

What's your say on this matter? After solving the boundaries with India for Tibet, now we have this with the Japanese. We don't even need to mention Taiwan. Sigh!