This is the first editorial in this week's issue of the Sakhalin Times

A World War 2 peace treaty between Russia and Japan, before the official celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, looks next to impossible. While Russia has shown a great deal of flexibility by offering Shikotan and Habomai as a settlement, Japan has clearly refused to budge from its stand. The Japanese made enormous concessions during the 1951 San Francisco convention while it was a weak nation. The only dispute for the Japanese was with the USSR and subsequently Russia. With Japan’s present position in the global hierarchy of nations, it insists on getting all 4 southern Kurils Islands back. Russia has clearly demonstrated that the carrots of developmental assistance won’t help the Japanese cause.

Unable to coerce Russia over the last decade or so, Japanese politicians have been taking pot shots at Russia. This week, Japanese Education Minister Nariaki Nakayama demanded that the country’s history textbooks write that the USSR occupied the Southern Kurils illegally. Mr Nakayama stirred up a hornet’s nest last year when he said that Japanese history books paint a bad picture of Japan. The minister wants a review of the negative and self-defeating chapters in history books.

It’s an accepted fact that history books the world over are filled with lies or rather a country’s often distorted interpretation of events that took place. American people believe that D-Day was the turning point of World War 2 and it was America that defeated the Nazis. Similarly Russians insist that the battles of Kursk and Stalingrad were the turning points of the war and Russians can justifiably believe that it was the supreme sacrifices of the Soviet people and Red Army that led to the defeat of Nazism.

History textbooks in China only highlight the injustices on the Chinese people by foreign invaders and unequal treaties imposed on the Middle Kingdom and don’t mention Chinese imperial conquests. Similarly, accounts of the crusade will differ in pre-dominantly Muslim and pre-dominantly Christian countries. History books become dangerous when they are used as a state instrument to poison young minds. Creating enmity among children towards a particular nation can cause undue damage to bilateral relations with the maligned country.

The Japanese Education Ministry needs to be cautious in their approach to sensitive matters in history textbooks. A great deal of fair-mindedness is a must. We’re not saying that the Nanjing Massacre must be highlighted more than the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, even though the former resulted in more deaths. We’re also not hinting that the Japanese books highlight the utter cruelty of Japanese occupation forces in their sweep across Asia during World War 2 or the fact that Japan was an ally of Nazi Germany, which was responsible for more than 25 million deaths in the same USSR that occupied the Southern Kurils. Keeping in mind that every country has something to be proud of and something to be ashamed of in its history, Japanese history books should be fair-minded when they discuss Japan’s history with its neighbours.

Tailpiece: It’s heartening to know that President Putin isn’t being an apologist for the so-called crimes of the USSR.

This is the second editorial in this week's issue of the Sakhalin Times.

The original inhabitants of Sakhalin have been history’s whipping boys. They’ve been stripped of their land, their culture and traditions are on the verge of extinction and they remain economically backward and vulnerable. Alcoholism has just added to their woes. Woes caused initially by withdrawal of state support and added on by their displacement on account of the energy projects and the drastic reduction of fish in the waters around Sakhalin, affecting their livelihood.

The global movement to protect indigenous people’s rights came as a shot in the arm for Sakhalin’s indigenous people. Both the media and groups like Sakhalin Environmental Watch have highlighted their causes. In what can be called small victories, indigenous culture is again being celebrated by the Sakhalin Administration. Last year, the Indigenous People’s Sports Meet was revived. This year also has some indigenous cultural programmes and dance shows in store.

Looking at the bigger picture, the public consciousness has awoken to the indigenous people’s rights. A few months ago, when the indigenous people staged protests against the oil giants, a large number of Russians joined them. It is extremely disturbing to know that at such a crucial juncture, factionalism has reared its ugly head into the indigenous society. Two groups claim to be the sole representatives of the native Sakhaliners. There seems to be a vertical split in support for each group. The differences in opinion between the groups are certainly not irreconcilable. Certain experts speculate that this divide has been created by those whose interests are incompatible with the indigenous people. There are allegations of corruption and large incentives for those in the indigenous community that keep the divisions alive.

Governor Malakhov has rightly called for unity among the indigenous people and asked the two warring organisations to merge. The governor needs to use the goodwill he has among both groups to help bring them together. It’s in the best interests of Native Sakhaliners to maintain a united front and work out a common policy. By bickering over small issues like allocation of provincial, federal and private funds, they are playing straight into the hands of their exploiters. A united front alone will help the indigenous people win the battle for their rights and justice.

This is the first editorial in this week's issue of the Sakhalin Times

It wasn’t Emperor Hirohito or Josef Stalin who fought on the battlefields of Sakhalin in 1945. Those that advocated wars and benefited from them knew about the outcomes from the safety and comfort of their well-guarded homes. Soldiers were innocent pawns in nefarious political games and hence we can safely say that there were no good or bad soldiers. After all, it’s the good soldiers that follow orders. Sixty years after the war, bodies of Japanese and Russian soldiers are still being discovered in Sakhalin.

One of the main reasons that authorities are still searching for bodies is that Sakhalin was closed to Japanese and all other foreigners from 1945 to the early 1990s. Despite the fact that Russia and Japan are still in a state of war, Japanese citizens have been made to feel welcome since Sakhalin opened its doors to the world. Over the last few years, many remains of dead Japanese soldiers have been excavated and full religious rites have been conferred upon them. This gesture has gone a long way in warming up relations between the two countries.

Sakhaliners have never viewed Japan with even the slightest bit of hostility. Many of the first generation Russian settlers in southern Sakhalin moved into Japanese houses and formed a bond with the Japanese families who were forced out in the late 1940s. Japanese radio programmes were popular and a great number of southern Sakhaliners knew Japanese for a long time. This didn’t go down too well with the ever suspicious Soviet Administrations.

Over time, the Japanese monuments and legacies faded away in Sakhalin. The pagoda (Buddhist prayer hall) near the Councillor’s Dacha has been vandalised and almost turned into a public urinal. Several other monuments have either been defaced or completely fallen into disarray due to negligence. The obvious exception is the former Japanese palace-turned regional museum, which is a landmark of the city.

It is highly unlikely that the Russian and Japanese Governments will compromise on the Southern Kurils. The 150th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries will be marked most likely in a state of war. The best way to minimise the embarrassment of this situation is to allow Japan to restore all former monuments in Sakhalin and promote Japanese culture in Sakhalin. The Japanese Consulate General has already taken the initiative by regularly sponsoring cultural events and being a facilitator for scholarships to Japan. It is upto Sakhalin to broaden and fortify the already strong cultural links and act as a bridge that brings Russia and Japan together.

This is the first editorial in this week's issue of the Sakhalin Times.

Aslan Maskadov was seen by many “human rights activists” as a person who Russia could have negotiated with. For a few years in the late-1990s, Maskadov was the President of the de-facto independent Chechnya. Those who admired Maskadov compared him to the revolutionary Che Guevara. Moscow went to the extent of equating Maskadov with Osama Bin Laden.

Russian public opinion of Maskadov is extremely negative given that it is widely believed that he was responsible for the apartment bombings in 1998 in Moscow and St Petersburg (albeit without a shred of evidence), the Dubrovka hostage crisis and Beslan. Whatever Maskadov’s role was in those dastardly attacks, he was definitely no “rebel without a cause.” It’s a tragedy that the average Russian has no clue about the real state of affairs in Chechnya. Grozny, after years of shelling, is as destroyed as most Russian cities were after World War 2.

If Chechnya broke away from the Soviet Union and was allowed to be an independent country in 1991, few Russians would have even raised their voices in protest. Thirteen years later with several casualties from the war and terrorist revenge acts, the average Russian would never accept the concept of Chechen independence. So much attention and coverage has gone into the Chechen cause now from the west that if Chechnya ever broke away from Russia, experts fear similar movements make take place in Dagestan and other republics and regions.

The Russian people need to accept that Moscow’s actions in Chechnya are a failure. If anything the Chechen people who at one time were pro-Russia support independence. It’s easy to equate Chechen militants with the Al Qaeda and no doubt links exist between factions of Chechens guerrillas and international groups. However, the behaviour of Russian soldiers and the army in Chechnya is nothing that we can be proud of. The Russian public dismisses claims from human rights groups in Chechnya that Russian security forces are as brutal as Chechen separatists. These claims are by no means western propaganda. It isn’t difficult to imagine the Russian Army being brutal and cruel in Chechnya.

The common man in Russia, whether he lives in Moscow or here in distant Sakhalin, is afraid of anyone in uniform. Seeing a policeman, army man or even an armed security guard on the street in Sakhalin can make the average Sakhaliner’s blood pressure rise. Are we to believe that these same men in uniform are kind and gentle with a hostile populace?

As separatists put it, the war is far from over in Chechnya and the usual casualties will be innocent Chechen women and children as well as young men from places as far as the Russian Far East, who are conscripted to fight in this meaningless war. The military solution is a failure and will only lead to the creation of more Shamil Basayevs and Aslan Maskadovs and the eventual sufferers will be some unlucky people who take the wrong wagon of the Moscow metro on the wrong day. Surely a different approach is needed in Chechnya if not for anything else just for the fact that the policy has gone wrong for the last 12 years.

This is the first editorial in this week's issue of the Sakhalin Times

The Kuril Islands have a lot to offer to nature lovers and adventure tourists. Their breathtaking natural beauty, variety of flora and fauna, lakes, volcanoes and mountains can give visitors the thrill of a lifetime.

The Sakhalin Administration’s expert committee on tourism identified Kunaishir and Shikotan as islands with major potential for tourism. Both islands are claimed by Japan. Russia has even gone to the extent of offering Shikotan to the Japanese. Despite their uncertain future, the Sakhalin Administration has decided to improve the tourist infrastructure on both islands.

There are several problems that need to be addressed in the Kurils if tourism is expected to thrive on the islands. Not many people may be aware of the fact that the Kuril Islands have a much higher crime rate than Sakhalin. Most Sakhaliners regard certain islands in the southern chain including Kunaishir as an extension of the wild North Sakhalin. There has been very little development on these islands since they have been a part of Russia. In fact the poverty level is so high on these islands that some islanders depend on Japanese aid for food and medicines in the winter. It’s such poverty that has made lawlessness a way of life on some of the islands.

Stories of Japanese tourists getting robbed on the islands aren’t uncommon and former Japanese residents of the Kurils have often been greeted by hostile Cossacks when they have visited the Kurils under the visa-free programme. These same Cossacks have the blessings of the Russian Orthodox Church, which christened a church on Iturup recently.

Those not lucky enough to be eligible to visit the Kurils under the visa-free programme are faced with the daunting fact that the islands are in the “closed border zone.” This means getting special permissions from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Frontier Guard.

At the moment, there isn’t a regular or reliable flight service connecting the islands to Sakhalin or the Russian mainland. Even the residents of the islands find it difficult to get tickets on the two ferry services that ply between Sakhalin and the Kurils. The only way to provide and sustain a modern lifestyle and facilities on the islands is by properly exploiting their tourist potential.

Tourism can be a huge revenue earner for the islands and offers its residents a way out of the difficult life. For this, a much greater emphasis has to be laid by the Sakhalin Administration on good governance on the islands. The experts concurred that Shikotan and Kunaishir needed top-end tourism. Top-end tourists require top-end facilities. The Sakhalin Administration would be well served to take the route that the Seychelles did in developing tourism. While the island-nation doesn’t have much to offer the fast growing backpacker community, its emphasis on providing high-cost, high-value niche tourism has literally transformed the lives of its citizens.