Asia News

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JAPAN:
The latest twists and turns continue in the drama over the uninhabited East China Sea island known in Japan as Senkaku and in China as Diaoyu. The fact that it is uninhabited hasn’t stopped both world powers from taking issue with the other’s claims on it. It is currently privately owned by a family from Japan who are descendents of its’ original inhabitants.
On Sunday, a survey team was sent to the island by the governor of Tokyo and China immediately termed the survey to be illegal. The island is situated between Okinawa and Taiwan and is rich with fishing waters and may also have other valuable resources in the land.
Sovereignty over the island has been clouded by Japan’s defeat in WWII. The U.S. assumed administration over the island after the war and turned it over to Japan after the cold war began.
On Monday a military exchange program between Japan and South Korea was suspended. The action was in response to a visit South Korean President Lee Myung-baj made Friday to a remote island outcropping that is claimed by both countries. The islands are known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan. Japan says it is considering additional measures in response to the visit.
South Korean President Lee has since also called for the Japanese Emperor to apology for its colonization of Korea during the last war. Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba has expressed hopes that Japan can reduce tensions between the 2 countries after Mr. Lee leaves office in February.
THE KOREAS:
The long controversial Rev. Sun Myung Moon died Monday in South Korea. He was founder of the Unification Church and is most remembered for his staging of mass weddings. One of his biggest, in 1995, united 360,000 couples in marriage. His followers stated that he died from pneumonia brought on by his hard work schedule. He was 92. His funeral will on September 15th to allow for 2 weeks of mourning. Reverend Moon claimed that Jesus came to him in the 1930s and asked him to carry on his mission. His church believes Jesus was divine, but not God.
THAILAND:
The Wall Street Journal has reported that Apple Inc. software engineer Tony Tseung emailed a Buddhist group in Thailand to find out what happened to Apple founder Steve Jobs’ spirit following his death. He finally has received his answer from the Buddhists and they say he reincarnated as a celestial warrior and lives in a glass palace which hovers above his old Apple complex in Cupertino, California.
Jobs accomplishments with Apple have long been admired around the world and no less so than in Asia. Jobs was known to have traveled to India to study Buddhism and was fascinated with its’ teachings. Now the Dhammakaya Buddhist group in Thailand has made this claim that he is reincarnated which has prompted some skeptics, including other Buddhists, to criticize the Dhammakaya’s pronouncement as an attempt to increase fundraising.
PHILIPPINES:
The Philippines experienced a 7.6 magnitude earthquake last Friday. It was centered offshore about 65 miles southeast of Guiuan in Eastern Samar province. It was about 20 miles deep. Tsunamis were experienced as well, but were 18 inches or less and caused no damage. One landslide from the quake did kill one person and injured another. The landslide occurred because land was soaked by heavy rain. The U.S. Geological Survey said that the damage would have been much greater if the quake had occurred inland.