NATIONALISM IN ASIA

ASIAN NATIONS SHOULD BEWARE OF THE 'RIOT' IN PATRIOTISM

The China Post, September 18, 2012

Nationalism and protectionism are two of the most attractive qualities during dire economic times. European far-right political parties enjoyed widespread electoral success in the wake of the eurozone debt crisis.

Even in a country in need of focus and economic revival such as the post-lost decade, post-financial crisis and post-March 11 earthquake Japan, long-term nationalist firebrand Shintaro Ishihara mustered enough support to force the government to distract itself from economic reform and tackle a half-century-old territory dispute.

So it is not surprising to see populist and nationalistic demonstrations mushrooming across the world. In Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, protesters are rallying against the U.S. over an American-made anti-Muslim “movie.” Despite the amateurism of the video and the fact that it was made not by any U.S. government-sanctioned organization (in fact one of the film's reported makers was later questioned by U.S. police partially due to an earlier fraud conviction), protesters are targeting U.S. embassies. Demonstrators in Sudan were even urged to rally outside the German Embassy over the U.S.-made video. Violence that took place during one rally resulted in the death of four U.S. diplomatic personnel in Libya, including the ambassador to the North African country.

In cities across China, angry protesters rallied against the Japanese government's decision to “nationalize” the Diaoyutai Island by purchasing them from those believed by the Japanese to own them. The Japanese central government was forced to act after Ishihara launched a successful fundraising campaign to purchase the islands and build a shelter for vessels using the Tokyo local government's private fund. Japan's nationalization plan is aimed at stopping Ishihara's plan to escalate tension, but Chinese nationalists, of course, are not interested in the nuance of Japanese politics. Tens of thousands of patriotic protesters gathered outside Japanese embassies and consulates across mainland China, yelling anti-Japanese slogans and calling for the boycott of all Japanese goods and foods.

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