Cablegate: Tokyo Media Reaction - Turkey and China

VZCZCXRO8183
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #2069 2110435
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 290435Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6142
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUYNAAC/COMNAVFORJAPAN YOKOSUKA JA PRIORITY
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHHMHBA/COMPACFLT PEARL HARBOR HI//N541// PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/HQ PACAF HICKAM AFB HI//CC/PA// PRIORITY
RUHBANB/OKINAWA FLD OFC US FORCES JAPAN CP BUTLER JA PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USFJ PRIORITY
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 9076
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 1450
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 7280
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 9659
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2806
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4594
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2439
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 0584
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0973
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC

UNCLAS TOKYO 002069

SIPDIS

STATE FOR I/RF, PA/PR/FPC/W, IIP/G/EA, EAP/PD, R/MR,
EAP/J, EAP/P, PM;
USTR FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE;
TREASURY FOR OASIA/IMI;
SECDEF FOR OASD/PA;
CP BUTLER OKINAWA FOR AREA FIELD OFFICE;
PACOM HONOLULU FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KMDR KPAO JA
SUBJECT: TOKYO MEDIA REACTION - TURKEY AND CHINA

1. LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning papers gave front-
page coverage to Monday's flash flood in a river in
Kobe that killed four people.

2. "Acts of Terrorism Fan Political Anxiety" The
liberal Asahi's correspondent wrote from Ankara (7/29):
"...While the motives behind Monday's series of
bombings in Istanbul remain unclear, some have
mentioned the possible involvement of the Kurdistan
Workers Party (PKK). The incident exposes the dilemma
facing Turkey, which is confronted simultaneously with
a deep-seated threat from Islamic fundamentalists and
ethnic confrontation."

3. "Will Beijing Olympics Be Safe?" On the recent
outbreak of social unrest and bombings across China
ahead of the Beijing Olympics, the top-circulation,
moderate Yomiuri editorialized (7/29): "The bombings
were almost surely carried out by Uyghurs seeking
independence. China is paying a price for its ethnic
minority policy of prioritizing the Han people's
movement into the provinces and their economic
development at the expense of the religious and
cultural aspects of minority ethnic groups.... The
current situation in China appears to be worsening in
defiance of the hope for improved human rights
expressed by the International Olympic Committee in
2001 when it awarded the Games to Beijing."

SCHIEFFER

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