Extracts. DPRK, South Korea Celebrate Liberation Day Delegates of about 220 South Korean organizations flocked to Pyongyang Wednesday to celebrate with their compatriots in the north the 56th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula liberation from Japan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/japan.html> ese colonial rule. On August 15, 1945, Japanese invaders surrendered and retreated from the peninsula. To memorize the history, August 15 is remembered as the Liberation Day ever since. To give the first Liberation Day in the new century more significance, the north and the south reached consensus beforehand to hold a grand festival for national reunification on the Liberation Day this year. Wednesday's opening ceremony for the festival was held in front of the newly erected monument for the three charters for national reunification in the capital. President Kim Yong Nan of the presidium of the DPRK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/dprk.html> Supreme People's Assembly, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea Kim Yong Sun, and representatives of north and south political groups, overseas delegates, and people from all walks of life in Pyongyang joined in the festival. Vice President of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong Dae delivered a morale-inspiring speech on the occasion, stressing the 2001 grand festival held by both sides in the peninsula demonstrated the unshakable determination and will of all the people for national reunification. Through the festival, the two sides will gain more confidence in national reunification, and push forward the struggle to accomplish the historic cause of national reunification under the banner of the north-south joint declaration, Kim said. The June 15 north-south joint declaration, reached by the heads of the two states, is a milestone for independent national reunification, he said. In conclusion, he called on the two sides to defend the cause of reunification from outside interference and work together to this end. An art performance was given to celebrate the opening of the festival. At the end of the ceremony, delegates from the north, south and overseas planted trees around the monument. Various activities will be held during the celebrations, including a rally, a pan-national meeting, a meeting of delegates, a forum, an exhibition and art performance. **** Kim Jong Il Celebrates Liberation Day in Russia Russia <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> n President Vladimir Putin has sent a telegram of congratulations to DPRK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/dprk.html> leader Kim Jong Il who celebrated his nation's main holiday while on a long train trip home across Russia, officials said Wednesday. Putin congratulated Kim on DPRK's Liberation Day and said that their talks in Moscow earlier this month have given a "powerful impetus" to the development of bilateral ties. The cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang "answers the interests of both nations and helps to strengthen peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia," said the statement released by the Kremlin. Kim answered with a quick telegram of recognition, saying that his summit with Putin was "an epochal event" in bringing bilateral relations to a new level, North Korea's official news agency reported Wednesday. Putin's envoy to the Russian Far East, Konstantin Pulikovsky, who is accompanying Kim during his trip, described the North Korean leader as a "cheerful and sociable" behind an official image in an interview published Wednesday in the business daily Kommersant. "It seemed to me that Kim Jong Il is more progressive than his entourage," Pulikovsky said. "Yes, he heads an unusual state, but he's doing a lot to change its image to open North Korea to the rest of the world." He said Kim distracts himself during the long travel by roaming the Internet, listening to music and watching movies. He also loves singing Russian songs, Pulikovsky added. Kim, who made a brief stopover Wednesday in the city of Chita in southern Siberia, and is now heading Khabarovsk, invited local Russian officials to his Japan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/japan.html> ese-made train to celebrate the holiday, which marks the end of the Japanese occupation of his country in 1945. **** Japan Urged to Face History -A group of Japanese mourned for Chinese victims at the of Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall Wednesday in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. Together with them were historians from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, who held an academic seminar on the issue of Japanese history textbooks and the Nanjing Massacre Wednesday in the city. The scholars condemned Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. They said that they believed that it was necessary to further disclose the truth of the Nanjing Massacre committed by Japanese invaders during the Second World War. Some college students in northwest China's Gansu Province lodged a protest against the Japanese prime minister's shrine visit. Meanwhile, an album of photographs exposing Japanese aggression in China has been discovered in Quanzhou City in east China's Fujian Province. The 21-page album, with a cartoon cover, is a collection of photographs showing war crimes committed by Japanese soldiers in Jinan City, capital of east China's Shandong Province, in 1928. It was brought to China by an overseas Chinese from the Philippines in the 1930s. Over 1,000 elderly people in northeast China's Liaoning Province have written articles denouncing the Japanese imperialists' criminal act of aggression against China. Researcher Qi Hongshen has sent out some 25,000 questionnaires and 8,000 letters since 1995 trying to collect evidence related to the aggression. More pictures, documents and books about the Japanese invasion of China have been discovered recently in Beijing. All of them were compiled by Japanese and printed in Japan. **** Commentary: Why Japan Doesn't Earnestly Introspect History For more than 50 years, Japan <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/japan.html> has so far failed to seriously introspect its criminal responsibility for invading and enslaving Asian countries during the late 19th century and the middle of the 20th century and has constantly stood diametrically opposed to Asian countries on a series of questions, including history textbook, "comfort women" and wartime labor, politicians' visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. This line of action taken by Japan is bound to affect its relations with Asian countries, then why does it still act arbitrarily, and have no worry about worsening its relations with Asian countries? This writer is of the view that the crux of the matter lies in the question regarding Japan's identification of Asia. Japan lacks Asian identification, Japanese politicians and media are seldom heard stressing that Japan is an Asian country. There exists a major issue regarding Japan's Asian identification. Before World War II, Japan pursued a policy of "separating itself from Asia and joining Europe"; after World War II, Japan intended to "separate itself from Asia and join the United States <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/usa.html> ". Japan looks down upon Asia, but at the same time it thinks its own nation and culture are the best in Asia, trying its utmost to draw a clear line of demarcation between itself and other Asian countries and nations. This situation has thus far remained unchanged, with the result that no compromise has been achieved between Japan and China, Korea, the Republic of Korea as well as Southeast Asian countries over the question of history. In this sense, Japan is indeed very isolated in Asia. To put it bluntly, the question of identification between Japan and Asian countries is the fact that today when tremendous changes have taken place in Asia and the world at large, the Japanese still look down upon Asia in the old way, and simply do not want to merge themselves into Asia and straighten out their relations with Asian countries. Is it that Japan does not need Asia? No! Is it that Japan really does not feel itself being an Asian nation? No! In some external affairs, Japan gives special thoughts to Asian countries. Japan wishes to be an Asian country only under the circumstance wherein things conform to its narrow private interests. Let me cite two most recent instances: First, Japan is eager to become a permanent member of the Security Council of the United Nations, for this end, Japan has to seek support from various Asian countries; second, Japan often styles itself as "representative" of Asia at the developed countries' summit (i.e., the eight-nation summit-seven Western countries plus Russia <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/russia.html> ). At the eight-nation summit held last year in Japan's Okinawa, Japan appeared in the capacity of a spokesman for Asian countries, before the summit, Japan solicited the opinions of many Southeast Asian countries, hoping that these counties would report to it their opinions about the developed countries' summit conference, then Japan would bring these opinions to the eight-nation summit. That's how Japan is beset with contradictions over the question of its approach to Asia. Why does Japan lack the identification of Asia? The reasons are complicated. This writer maintains that there are five factors: First is Japan's deep-seated nationalist sentiment. In essence this nationalism advertises Japan's national superiority and the interests of Japan's nation stand above everything else, so naturally it is exclusive of (Asia); second is there is a big economic gap between Japan and other Asian countries. As the only developed nation in Asia, Japan's GDP is greater than that of China, the ROK <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/rok.html> plus 10 Southeast Asian countries, most East Asian countries economically depend on Japan, this non-symmetric economic relationship becomes the material foundation for Japan's self-importance in Asia; third is Japan's globe-oriented economy has caused the country to give special attention to the regions outside Asia; fourth is the union relationship concluded between Japan and the United States over the issue of security; and fifth is that although Japan's internal pacifist forces have all along been very strong, its right-wing forces have caused Asian countries to maintain wariness and vigilance over Japan. At any rate, Japan's lack of Asian identification constitutes an obstacle to its relations with Asian countries. As long as Japan fails to set about solving this issue, it will be hard for Japan to improve its relations with other Asian countries. **** NE China Commemorates Victory in Anti-Japanese War Scholars from northeast China's Liaoning Province gathered at the September 18 Museum Wednesday in Shenyang to commemorate the victory over the Japanese aggressors 56 years ago. Professor Zhang Deliang, also head of the Northeast Army History Study Society, said at the meeting that the triumph over Japan was China's first complete triumph against foreign invaders since the Opium War of 1840. "It successfully enhanced the confidence and dignity of the Chinese people," he said. Chu Xinggui, the curator of the museum, emphasized that though half a century has passed since that time, the Chinese will never forget the brutal Japanese aggression. "History should not be forgotten," he said. On September 18, 1931, Japanese troops in northeastern China began attacking the Chinese army, and then occupied Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces in northeast China. That day is regarded as a day of humiliation among the Chinese. Some 30 million Chinese were enslaved after the September 18 Event till the end of the war, said Xing Anchen, a history professor at Liaoning University. More than 67,000 victims were recorded in northeast China during the 14-year occupation of Japan. His colleague, Professor Wang Haichen, said that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine on Monday affected relations between Japan and neighboring Asian countries. Any attempt to deny the history of the Japanese invasion will be opposed by people who love peace, he added. Established in 1991, the September 18 Museum recording Japan's invasion of China in the 1930s has received more than 1.8 million visitors. One out of ten are from overseas, and most of them are Japanese. **** Iran Slams US Comments on Tehran-Baku Caspian Boundary Disputes Iran on Wednesday slammed United States comments on Tehran-Baku Caspian boundary disputes, saying that Washington is attempting to make the issue even more complicated. US State Department spokesman Philipe Reeker said on Tuesday that Iran's reported violation of the Azeri airspace had been confirmed and that such actions are provocative, and counterproductive to efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the Caspian boundary disputes. Azeri television has claimed that an Iranian air force reconnaissance plane violated Azerbaijan's airspace over the Caspian Sea. But Iran immediately denied the report, saying that the plane had been on routine patrol over the Iranian territorial waters. Describing the U.S. comments as "provocative" and "untrue," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said that the interference of countries outside the Caspian region in the affairs of the five Caspian littoral states not only hinder settlement of their disputes, but also make that process even more complicated. Iran strongly maintains that the littoral states, without relying on foreign parties, can cooperate with one another in settling their disputes through negotiations in such a way as to guarantee their own interests, Asefi added. He further explained that Iran, along with other littoral states, would try to settle the Caspian disputes through continued negotiations within a normal course and by adopting "good will" measures. The Caspian Sea is estimated to contain the world's third largest reserves of oil and gas after the Persian Gulf and Siberia. Among the five littoral states, Iran and Turkmenistan have pushed for division of the sea into five equal sectors while Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia contend that the sea floor should be divided into national sectors, which would leave Iran with the smallest slice. Iran has recently protested Azerbaijan's "unauthorized" exploration at the Alborz oil field, which Tehran says is in its sector of the Caspian Sea, in cooperation with foreign companies, and sent a warship to the water area to warn against the exploration ships. The five Caspian states is expected to hold a summit in October to deal with their disputes. **** Zimbabwe Urges West Countries to Pay Reparations Zimbabwe <http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/data/zimbabwe.html> an Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Patrick Chinamasa has called on Western countries to pay reparations for the resources and wealth they looted during the era of colonialism, The Herald newspaper reported on Thursday. Addressing delegates at a preparatory workshop for the South Africa <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/southAfrica.html> n conference against racism here on Wednesday, Chinamasa said apart from the issue of reparations, African governments would also call for the setting up of compensation scheme for slave trade victims. This position came as a result of the African Regional Preparatory Conference for the World Conference Against Racism early this year. The highlights in the program for action are the setting up of an International Compensation Scheme for victims of slave trade and a Development Reparation Fund to provide resources for countries affected by colonialism. Chinamasa said it was prudent that Western countries, particularly those which colonized a number of African countries, consider payment for crimes they perpetrated during colonialism for the betterment of the world. He said that Zimbabwe would appreciate the elimination of racism which is currently exercised by a minority with greater economic might against the majority who are victims of racism. The World Conference Against Racism is to be held in Durban, South Africa, from August 31 to September 7. Some 14,000 delegates, including more than 30 heads of state and 160 foreign ministers, are expected to attend the gathering. **** Arabs Urged to Reveal Israeli Subreptitious Report on Palestinian Uprising Lebanese Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said on Thursday that the Arab world should do all it can to reveal Israel's subreptitious report about the Palestinian intifada (uprising). Aridi made the remarks upon returning to Beirut after attending an emergency meeting of Arab information ministers in Cairo, Lebanon's official NNA news agency reported on Thursday. All 22 Arab countries have reached a consensus to cooperate in news reporting about the Palestinian intifada against Israeli occupation and aggressions, he said. "We should take actions as soon as possible to deal with Israel's lies that are going around the world," he stressed. "Israel has established a channel broadcast in Arabic, which is smearing the Palestinian intifada. Our media must strike back," the Lebanese official added. The Arab countries agreed in the information ministers meeting held in June in Beirut to set up an Arab satellite channel to broadcast in English and other languages, including Hebrew, to present Arab causes and stances to the world public opinion. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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