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Japan 'bought Solomons whaling votes'
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malcoml



Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 215
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:58 pm    Post subject: Japan 'bought Solomons whaling votes' Reply with quote

Monday July 18, 08:59 PM


Japan 'bought Solomons whaling votes'

Former senior Solomon Islands officials have claimed Japan paid fees and fisheries costs for years in exchange for the country's vote for a return to commercial whaling.

The ABC's Four Corners program quoted Solomons officials as saying Japan expected nothing in return for the aid assistance other than a pro-whaling vote at the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The Solomons had earlier promised Australia it would vote against Japan's contentious scientific whaling proposals and to abstain from a vote for commercial whaling at the IWC.

But the Solomons IWC delegate ultimately reneged on its promise and voted for a resumption of commercial whaling at the IWC meeting at Ulsan, Korea, earlier this month.

Japan has been persistently accused for years by environmental groups, among others, of using aid to sign up small countries to the IWC and ensure their votes.

But the accusations have been hard to prove and Japan has denied the charge.

Japan failed to win enough support at the IWC but has vowed to continue its contentious so-called scientific whaling.

Two former Solomons IWC commissioners told Four Corners that Japan paid for all costs associated with IWC meetings for years.

"Yes, the Japanese pay the government subscriptions. They support the delegations to the meetings, in terms of meeting air fares and per diem (daily costs)," former Solomon Islands IWC Commissioner Albert Wata told the program.

He said Japan wanted the Solomons government to support its position on the IWC.

Fisheries Minister Nelson Kile, who led the Solomons IWC delegation for the past three years, told the program the Japanese paid the Solomons membership fees, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars over years.

"Yes they do (pay the fees). I'm not really sure but probably for 10 years I think," Mr Kile told the program.

The program said that just two days after Australian Environment Minister Ian Campbell visited the Solomons and was assured of its vote for Australia's anti-whaling stance, Solomons Prime Minister Sir Allan Kemakeza did a backflip.

He wrote a letter to the Japanese embassy in Honiara saying he would now support Japan's proposal for scientific whaling, according to Tione Bugotu, the permanent secretary of the Solomons' Fisheries Department.

"What I am aware of is that the prime minister has actually made very clear to the Embassy of Japan that the Solomon Islands will continue to support a reasonable number of whales to be killed for the purpose of scientific research," Mr Bugotu was quoted as saying.

While declining to comment directly on the bribery claims, a spokeswoman for Senator Campbell said Australia would continue to push for a permanent ban on commercial and scientific whaling, using "sensible, diplomatic means".

"Australia is working with core pro-conservation nations on a long term strategy to achieve our goal and protect whales for future generations," the spokeswoman said.

"We realise that this task will get harder, not easier, in the lead up to the next IWC meeting in St Kitts in 2006."

But Labor accused the government of being asleep at the wheel for nine years while Japan stacked the IWC.

Opposition environment spokesman Anthony Albanese said the government must act immediately to take Japan to the International Court of Justice.

Japan has announced that this summer its whaling boats will double their scientific kill of minke whales to more than 935 and include 50 humpback and fin whales.
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PAULH



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What does this have to do with language teaching and living in Japan? Whats your point by posting here? We get this stuff in the newspaper every day.
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malcoml



Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 215
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sure there are a number of people who care for world conservation, even teaching in Japan.
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SEndrigo



Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 437

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hahaha, don't worry Paul, he's just trying to stir up trouble again....I wonder if he's ever had a positive thing to say about Japan? or all just doom and gloom?

Japan must be terrible for its whaling...but not Australia, with its poor treatment of Aboriginals and locking up foreigners.

Japan is one big cesspool of immorality isn't it !
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JezzaYouBeauty!!



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 86

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Just curious Malcolm.....what is it?....I may have forgotten your history...or maybe you never said it. But why the anti-japan?

Anyhow....you kind of restore balance to the universe kind of thing. We need you, Malcolm baby! Go baby yeah!!

Yeah....whales doesn't seem to have much to do with ESL. But.....directly....a LOT of things in this forum doesn't have anything to do with ESL. Probably most.

I dunno.....I'm Australian. I've seen the 'bad treatment of aboriginals and locking up of foreigners' ammunition against Australia a bit on this forum.....

Anyhow........Malcolm is part of the 'plethora' of people in this world, especially the east asian region, who has trouble trusting and/or liking Japan.

I hated the anti-japan stuff in Korea........but sometimes I think, where there's smoke, there's fire. Even like with our racism discussions about Japan. We probably wouldn't be having them if it didn't exist in a fairly.....plentiful, insipid....and prominent way. (ahh...just thinking of adjectives, ya know)

You know what I mean. There's a reason why a lot of people have trouble with Japan. Maybe wrong or right, but it is there. Worth a good discussion.....

Nonetheless, Japan is a very unique and interesting country.....with an indiginous people....who sort of seem...to have been....never even heard of by most of the world, and forgotten by many Japanese. The Ainu.

I showed.....a Japanese person I know.....a picture of Ainu people last week. Before that, they had never seen the Ainu people, picture or anything. A bit of a worry methinks. Off-topic!...sorry...see ya....just saying stuff.
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JimDunlop2



Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan

PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 11:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm going to threadjack here.... (But only because this post itself is a forum-jack).

Paul: Seeing the general propensity towards non-teaching-related topics, not that there's necessarily anything evil about that, what are the chances of setting up a new Japan Off-Topic forum here on Dave's??
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malcoml



Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 215
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
hahaha, don't worry Paul, he's just trying to stir up trouble again....I wonder if he's ever had a positive thing to say about Japan? or all just doom and gloom?


A good thing to say, hmmm. YES sushi, I like sushi, have a ten dollar a day sushi habit, but ofcourse the euro sushi shop is far bettee than the traditional Japanese crap. As the Japanese employees say, we make it for the Australian taste bud. Hear that those for the critically correct bunch, they are claiming there is some type of difference in taste buds, I'll leave that for you guys to police.

I also like the Gaijin bars for obvious reasons and the Chikan take out service for a little treat.

JezzaYouBeauty!!

Hello Jezza, it is correct I attept to restore some balance, someone needs to clean up the vast majority of choclate noses that frequent this board. And it is just this particular board.

My history:
Australian
3 years military (Infantry)
Uni Property Economics
Real Estate/ Finance Japanese specialist
Master of Financial Planning

Had honesty thought about doing offshore planning or perhapes some english teaching but now strongly decided against it.
Oh and also slightly green conservationist. Well mainly just very anti whale killing.

Yes I have met a Japanese indegenious person aswell. They were from a particular island, I remember he said many peopel came to his island to die from affects of the Hiroshma bomb. He told me when his wifes parents met him they instantly rejected him and from that point wanted nothing to do with either of them. Hence the reason they ended up in Australia, living a peaceful normal life.

JimDunlop2
That would be great, lets see a Japan offtopic board, as most of the conversation is offtopic. I mean really people can only ask so many times what is the salary at Nova and how much does toothpaste cost before the topics will start to become non-teaching.

PaulH
As for having a go at me about a non teaching topic you were the one that had posted for sometime a topic in regards to asking Japanese girls for a date, yeah that had plenty to do with normal teacher behaviour.


Last edited by malcoml on Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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markle



Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Posts: 1316
Location: Out of Japan

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

In many ways the whaling issue is no more or less relevant than the 'racism' brouhaha, (malcomtent's obvious agenda aside)

I wish the Australian gov't put as much effort into other fisheries related issues.
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malcoml



Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 215
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Markel,

The Australian government has made some very hard decisions recently on fisheries. Ask all the trawler operaters in North Qld that have gone broke this year. There have been some major restrictions put on catch number and particular location that they can operate from. The government has actually began paying these people a compensation to close business.
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PAULH



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 1:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="malcoml"]
Quote:
h As the Japanese employees say, we make it for the Australian taste bud. Hear that those for the critically correct bunch, they are claiming there is some type of difference in taste buds, I'll leave that for you guys to police.


You must mean politically correct.



Quote:
I also like the Gaijin bars for obvious reasons and the Chikan take out service for a little treat.

As for having a go at me about a non teaching topic you were the one that had posted for sometime a topic in regards to asking Japanese girls for a date, yeah that had plenty to do with normal teacher behaviour.




Im only going at you as everything that comes out of your mouth on these forums is mysogynistic, xenophobic and borderline racist, which by the way is against forum rules and are good candidates for deletion.

The only reason you mention whaling is because they are Japanese who are doing it. You dont happen to mention the Norwegians at all.
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SEndrigo



Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Posts: 437

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 2:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

very good point, why not mention Norway?

Perhaps because Norway does not have any Chikans lurking on the trains?

by the way, I'm also anti whale killing, but at the end of the day, what can we do about it even if we live in Japan?

We can't vote, and do you think these people care about our opinions anyway?

yes we can raise awareness of what is happening but I doubt that will stop the Japanese from whaling.
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malcoml



Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 215
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 2:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
The only reason you mention whaling is because they are Japanese who are doing it. You dont happen to mention the Norwegians at all.


I do mention it about a number of other countries but as this is a Japanese board it would not be appropriate to mention it here.

Quote:
Perhaps because Norway does not have any Chikans lurking on the trains?


I'm sure there would be one or two lurking about, there might even be a few here in Australia. I personally caught a guy playing the old hole in the toilet wall trick.

Quote:
by the way, I'm also anti whale killing, but at the end of the day, what can we do about it even if we live in Japan?


You could politely tell you friends when you sit for lunch that perhapes the non whale sushi would be more appropriate. Explain to them the concept of supply.

Quote:
We can't vote, and do you think these people care about our opinions anyway?


Yep you said it. They dont care for other peoples opinions, they just up the whale catching quota. I'm sure many people are interested in seeing the results of this scientific research.

I will say it again that I'm not anti-Japanese. I'm ant certain groups and anti certain parts of the culture but not completely anti Japanese. I do have some Japanese friends. What mainly annoys me it the how naive some are, I did my good deed the a few months back when I saved a bunch of Japanese from wondering into a RSL and being lynched by a group of 80 year old WWII veterans. Perhapes it would be appropriate for the no Gaijin sign to be posted at the front of the RSL.
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PAULH



Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 4672
Location: Western Japan

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

malcoml wrote:

I'm sure there would be one or two lurking about, there might even be a few here in Australia. I personally caught a guy playing the old hole in the toilet wall trick.
.


FYI

A man peeking through a hole in a toilet or a changing room wall is not a chikan, its a "peeping tom". Its called "nozoki" in Japanese.

A chikan is a man (usually a man) who sexually touches or fondles a woman on a crowded train or a bus. Quite a difference between looking at them and physically touching them. You don't have to be Japanese to be a chikan but it occurs more often here because of the overcrowded trains. The number of arrests has tripled in recent months because more women are taking matters in their own hands so to speak. You now have "women-only" railway cars in Japan now.

You also get people who use small hidden cameras or mirrors to look up women's skirts. I'm sure you will tell me its a "Japanese" thing too.
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Sage



Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Posts: 144
Location: Iwate no inaka!

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jesus PaulH. I lost a lot of respect for you from your reply. With all of the completely non-teaching related fluff that gets posted on the boards you choose to bash this? Wow.

And to those who say that posting this is anti-Japanese (the stupidest thing I�ve ever heard)... it's like saying that disagreeing with Bush about the Iraq War is anti-American.

Oh, and to clue some of you in the Japanese government is just as slimy and sneaky and bad as most other governments out there. Do really I need to list the bad things they do (or don't do)?

---

Yeah. Whaling for scientific research is crap. At least what other countries do is honest. Norway doesn�t hide behind the scientific card when it whales. Not that it's any better but at least they are truthful about it.

That's the problem with humans. We exercise, generally, no personal responsibility. Whale tastes good so lets eat them all? When their gone... "Oh well!" Just because you like to eat something doesn�t mean you have a right to wipe that food source off the planet.
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malcoml



Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 215
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello Paulh

Quote:
You also get people who use small hidden cameras or mirrors to look up women's skirts. I'm sure you will tell me its a "Japanese" thing too


Actually it is a Japanese thing, well atleast in regards to mobile phones. When camera phones were first introduced they had a silent camera. After many reported incidents of funny camera business in Japan the government insisted that the camera now make a slight noise when a photo is taken. Though as many man who looks forward to a 5pm train will tell you, this can easily be overcome with turning the phone on silent.

As for a chikan if you remember I was the one who first posted the Japanese sex/fettish/whatever takes their fancy link on my posts, I received a very warm and fuzzy feeling when I realised you had put it into one of your sticky posts.

That must be a world first, a country that needs to have female only train carriages, this is not a change room you know. Gee I would hate to be the Gaijin that accidentally steps onto that carriage, I'm sure that that many Japanese women would rip him to shreds and eachother trying to be the first to get to him.
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