George Sioris - The Japan Times

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George Sioris

For George Sioris's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 20, 2005

Seniors, universities can help each other

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Last week a conference was held in Kyushu under the auspices of the pioneer Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University, whose student body and faculty are divided between Japanese and foreigners of many nationalities. The conference was original in that it also involved students representing several dozen other universities. All gathered in Beppu city to discuss the crucial issue of tourism in our times -- from "dynamic," "sustainable" and "boundless" angles. Scores of educators, from Ritsumeikan and other foreign universities attended.

COMMENTARY / World

Jun 9, 2005

Hardest steps to harmony

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The recent turmoil in Sino-Japanese relations has caused anxiety in Thailand. People here would clearly prefer a calmer atmosphere between the two giant powers of East Asia, as their future is linked to both and they stand to lose if there is a collision. Many believe that the current war of words benefits neither.

COMMENTARY / World

Apr 24, 2005

Getting Yangon to show a little respect

CHANG MAI, Thailand -- There has been a lot of discussion recently about Myanmar's assumption of the presidency of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year. It is obvious that most members wish to prevent this anomaly from happening. Let's reflect on some of the more realistic, even cynical, aspects of this imbroglio.

COMMENTARY / World

Apr 8, 2005

Drive toward reconciliation

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- It seems rather awkward for outsiders to comment at this time on the tragic developments in the "deep South" of Thailand. Yet even Thai public opinion at large does not appear sufficiently informed of the extent of the events occurring there. One aspect of the drama that should be brought to the attention of the broader Asian and international public is the newly instituted National Reconciliation Commission, a bright testimony to the traditional Thai sense of tolerance.

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 19, 2005

Curing the plague of piracy

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- For years now piracy in the Malacca Strait has been one of the top problems facing the Asian region. A recent Japan Times editorial very succinctly dealt with the potential dangers that it presents, especially with regard to Japan. My purpose here is to consider possible ways to minimize the threat.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 24, 2005

Lineage of the Asian community concept

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Last fall the embryonic concept of an Asian community appeared to gain some momentum. Now, of course, other topics, mainly the tragedy of the Dec. 26 tsunamis, have monopolized public attention, but the vision of a broader Asian community deserves further discussion.

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 22, 2004

Wanted: a more realistic Myanmar policy

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- It is now more than obvious that developments in Myanmar have taken a sad turn. The harden- ing of the junta's position does not augur well for future United Nations involvement. The generals in Yangon will not roll out the red carpet for a U.N. envoy whose efforts they had neutralized in the past. Western sanctions are in place, but their efficacy has been questioned even by Myanmar's dissidents.

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 24, 2004

Credit some viewers for trying to think

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- As one of the millions of television viewers glued to his screen trying to keep pace with the overwhelming flow of international news, I often find myself pondering the pluses and minuses of present-day advances in computers, electronics and information technology. The other day I happened be in such a philosophical mood when my eye caught the letter from a Japanese reader wondering whether our current enthusiasm for cell phones signifies in reality a disturbing inability "to develop close ties with others in conventional ways."

COMMENTARY / World

Jul 12, 2004

Moderate Islam's voice must be heard

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The fact that every day a new "armchair" terrorism expert appears can be viewed as a welcome sign, for it shows that there is growing alertness to the new challenge of our times. Terrorism experts continue to argue over the best ways to confront unimaginable threats, but frequently fail to separate the short- and long-term dimensions. Talking too much about cutting off the hydra's heads pertains to the former, while addressing the problem in a more comprehensive way pertains to the latter.

COMMENTARY / World

May 18, 2004

Myanmar's thorn in the ASEM process

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Once again, the experiment known as the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) enters the limelight for the wrong reasons. With preparation under way for a summit meeting in Hanoi next October, the focus is not so much on real issues as on the format for participation. Characteristically, a quick perusal of related news headlines is sadly amusing for its "bellicose" undertones.

COMMENTARY / World

Apr 14, 2004

Further thoughts on Yasukuni

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Although I am among those who wish that the Yasukuni Shrine controversy be put to rest quick- ly, I realize that the solution must come from inside Japan when conditions mature. Those with some distance from the emotional core of the issue may wish to ponder the new dynamic that the controversy has assumed since the Fukuoka District Court ruled April 7 that the prime minister's visits to the shrine are unconstitutional. Perhaps a Supreme Court ruling to settle the matter is becoming a definite priority.

CULTURE / Books / THE ASIAN BOOKSHELF

Mar 14, 2004

The Siamese revolution through the eyes of an 'impartial' Jesuit

HISTORY OF SIAM IN 1688, by S.J. Marcel Le Blanc, translated and edited by Michael Smithies. Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books, 2004, 212 pp., 625 baht (paper). This volume is the most recent in the "Treasures from the Past" series published by Silkworm Books Co., a series that deserves credit for bringing to life many episodes of Southeast Asian history -- especially 17th-century Siam (now known as Thailand). Michael Smithies has done an important service for the English-speaking readership -- translating the original texts (generally in French), which themselves are difficult to find.

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 13, 2004

The obstruction to Sri Lanka's evolution

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The continuous conflict between Sri Lanka's two main leaders has been covered from nearl every angle. What have been largely ignored, though, are the complications and contradictions arising on that beautiful island from a political system of "cohabitation." At present, public opinion is divided between adherents of the president and the prime minister. Arguments and counter-arguments abound on both sides.

COMMENTARY / World

Mar 1, 2004

Reform remains key to Indonesian success

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- In the 1970s and '80s, I had the opportunity to closely observe the Indonesian scene. A series of professional visits allowed me not only to appreciate the archipelago's progress and predominant regional role but also to evaluate many of its leaders -- from then-President Suharto and his ministers to the galaxy of senior civil servants and others beneath them. But a paramount dimension was missing: the voice of the Indonesian people.

COMMENTARY / World

Jan 19, 2004

Argument without contempt

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- Without entering the notorious, unending controversy surrounding Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine, I would like to examine peripheral issues arising from it and to question the inability of some campaigners to respect the views of others. While I fully understand the fury of many observers over the pattern of visits to the memorial for Japan's war dead, especially by the current Japanese prime minister, I fail to grasp the benefits of some of the proposed corrective medicine.

COMMENTARY / World

Dec 26, 2003

The image of Japan in ASEAN's dream

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The Japan-ASEAN Summit on Dec. 11-12 has already been broadly analyzed and generally hailed as a kind of embryonic con- ceptualization of the long-term goal of creating an "East Asian Community." So what could one possibly add to this debate by comparing the reactions between Tokyo and the capitals of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and focusing on long-term rather than short-term perspectives?

COMMENTARY / World

Dec 6, 2003

Sound reasons inspire unusual strikes

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- News from France concerning the recent work stoppage by diplomats of the prestigious Quai d'Orsay is unusual, to say the least. Thousands of diplomatic officers, both in Paris and abroad, have abandoned their duties in protest of huge budgetary restrictions that have torpedoed their efforts to perform very important tasks.

COMMENTARY / World

Nov 20, 2003

Exposing the roots of Islam

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The former dynamic leader of Malaysia, Mahathir Mohamad, again made big waves, this time at his departing salvo. Most of the world's reactions focused on his remarks about Jews, but there were other interesting aspects in his comments regarding Islam that were perhaps overlooked.

COMMENTARY / World

Oct 31, 2003

APEC's inevitable discussion of security

BANGKOK -- The recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Bang kok could, in an oversimplified manner, be summarized as an event in which economic issues were overshadowed by a strong security agenda. Moreover, the whole exercise was partly sidelined by the spectacular arrangements on the Thai side. But is there no more to be said about the meeting?

COMMENTARY / World

Sep 8, 2003

Reflections on Vieira de Mello's sacrifice

CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- The international community has lamented last month's death of a brave and honest man dedicated to the service of his fellow human beings to a degree matched by few others.

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.

[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.

The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores

By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

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