VZCZCXRO7455
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0717/01 0780227
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 180227Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2631
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 6691
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9083
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 5197
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7295
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0364
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2259
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2171
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 8306
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8876
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000717
SIPDIS
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 - UNREST IN TIBET, U.S.
ECONOMY, AND IRAQ WAR FIFTH ANNIVERSARY
1. LEAD STORIES: Most Tuesday morning papers led with
the GOJ's failure to nominate a new candidate for BOJ
governor by Monday, predicting that the post will be
vacant for some time after current chief Fukui steps
down tomorrow.
2. "Riots Caused by Failure of China's Ethnic Policy"
The top-circulation, moderate Yomiuri editorialized
(3/18): "Chinese authorities have continued to suppress
Tibetan culture by cracking down on anti-government
monks and residents severely, allowing Communist Party
officials and security forces to enter monasteries, and
imposing nationalistic education on local residents....
The Dalai Lama made a concession in the 1990s by
withdrawing his demand for Tibetan independence and
instead calling for 'high-level autonomy.' Behind-the-
scenes negotiations have continued intermittently
between China and the Tibetan government in exile.
China should take advantage of the unrest in order to
make efforts for compromise."
3. "International Monitoring Needed to Learn Full
Picture" The conservative Sankei argued (3/18): "The
developments in Tibet have been reported extensively
around the world. Chinese authorities should stop
repeating rote phrases and instead provide
straightforward explanations that can convince the
international community.... We feel uneasy about a
superpower scheduled to host the Olympics describing
the chaos as 'organized acts of destruction.'... China
only deserves to host the Olympics if it is willing to
accept the Dalai Lama's proposal for an investigation
by an international organization."
4. "USG Needs to Make Decision" The liberal Mainichi
asserted in an editorial (3/18): "Turmoil in the global
financial market is becoming more serious, as a major
U.S. brokerage firm is on the verge of bankruptcy,
prompting a bailout by the federal government. Credit
uncertainty may engulf other large financial
institutions in the U.S. and Europe.... It is critical
for the USG to take appropriate measures in order to
avert a financial crisis. It should use public funds to
reinforce the capital bases of financial institutions
so that they can dispose of nonperforming loans....
There will be no recovery in the real economy until the
financial system is normalized. The USG should swiftly
put forward specific measures."
5. "How to Overcome Grand Folly" The liberal Asahi
insisted (3/18): "What is worrisome is that the U.S.
will become exhausted if a settlement of the situation
in Iraq is delayed. This is not just a matter of
military power; U.S. leadership, including economic,
diplomatic, and soft power, could be lost around the
world. With Japan facing a nuclear threat from North
Korea, the decline of the U.S., Japan's only ally, is
not desirable. The U.S. must overcome this grand folly
and devise a path out of this mess. Debate in the U.S.
presidential race is expected to offer an opportunity
to that end. The U.S. should first come to terms with
its mistake in wrongly identifying the 'enemy' and then
discern what the real targets should be."
TOKYO 00000717 002 OF 002
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