Reconciliation in the Asia-Pacific

by Funabashi, Yoichi

• ISBN13: 9781929223473
• ISBN10: 1929223471
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-06-01
• Publisher: United States Inst of Peace Pr

Summary

History has left many scars in the Asia-Pacific. Injuries inflicted generations ago are still fresh in the collective memories of the peoples of the region, hobbling efforts to repair relationships between old adversaries. But recently the spirit of reconciliation seems to have acquired new life. From Korea to Japan to China, longtime enemies are trading apologies and looking ahead. In this remarkably timely volume, Yoichi Funabashi, one of Japan's most influential journalists, and seven authors from throughout the Asia-Pacific shine the spotlight on the prospects for reconciliation in the region. Looking at instances of inter-ethnic as well as international strife, this book lays out the background to each case, analyzes the impact of unresolved and sometimes unacknowledged grievances, and weighs the prospects for overcoming the burden of history. Not all the cases inspire optimism, at least in the short term, for bitter memories have burrowed deep into society and are intertwined with issues of political power and ethnic identity. But in some parts of the region, palpable progress toward reconciliation is being made. In his conclusion, Funabashi identifies the key steps that governments and publics must take if they are to come to terms with the past.

Table of Contents

Foreword	vii
Ezra Vogel
Preface	xi
Acknowledgments	xv
Contributors	xvii
Introduction: Why Reconciliation?	3	(16)
Yoichi Funabashi
Evaluating the Inter-Korean Peace Process	19	(18)
Scott Snyder
Hypotheses on History and Hate in Asia: Japan and the Korean Peninsula	37	(24)
Victor D. Cha
Reconciliation between Japan and China: Problems and Prospects	61	(30)
Daqing Yang
Overcoming the Difficult Past: Rectification of the 2-28 Incident and the Politics of Reconciliation in Taiwan	91	(20)
Masahiro Wakabayashi
Cambodia: Unable to Confront the Past	111	(22)
Nayan Chanda
East Timor: A Nation Divided	133	(16)
Todung Mulya Lubis
Aboriginal Reconciliation, Asian Australians, and Some Heretical Thoughts	149	(24)
Greg Sheridan
Conclusion	173	(12)
Yoichi Funabashi
Appendices	185	(16)
The Process of German-Polish Reconciliation	187	(6)
Frank Elbe
The Processes of Reconciliation Are Diverse	193	(4)
Yukio Sato
The Is No ``Single Truth''	197	(4)
Marianne Heiberg
Notes	201	(24)
Index	225