[Asia Round-up] Death of draftee highlights problems in Taiwan’s military

Editor’s note: Followings are summaries of editorials from major Asian media on current issues.

July 20, 2013, in Taipei, Taiwan, protesters hold posters that read "Give the truth" next to portraits of Taiwan soldier Hung Chung-chiu who died in early July after being forced to perform a vigorous regime of calisthenics in sweltering heat on a base in suburban Taipei. (Photo : AP Photo)

Death of draftee highlights problems in Taiwan’s military
[Taiwan, The China Post, 12-07-2013]

The recent death of Hung Chung-chiu, a corporal in the Taiwanese army who died during solitary confinement three days before he was set to be discharged, again highlights the management problems within Taiwan’s armed forces.

Hung died of heatstroke after doing extreme exercise under the searing sun as a form of punishment. It has been alleged that the military personnel overseeing his punishment ignored his complaints of sickness and had him continue. After returning from a leave of absence with a cellphone with camera functions, his brigade officers were eager to punish him for breaking the rules by putting him to the harshest form of punishment.

The military has apologized to Hung’s parents and the nation for his death and stated it will seek justice by punishing those responsible for his death. This extreme case of discipline brings questions to how many other servicemen are being subjected to similar punishment.

Hung’s death has brought very bad publicity to the military during the nation’s transition to an all-volunteer system. Not only must the military find the truth behind Hung’s death, but improve its management to better protect human rights.

Keeping alive the love of books
[Singapore, The Straits Times, 18-07-2013]

The high rate of book businesses failing in Singapore raises worries as it is diminishing the nation’s invisible store of cultural capital and may lead to a society being poorly read and informed. Many book stores are closing as sales cannot meet rent. In 2011, Borders closed due to a rent dispute and now several other stores such as Popular Holdings’ Prologue store at Ion Orchard and the firm’s Harris Brand are on the verge of closing due to difficulties with rent.

Owners of malls and commercial buildings charge high prices for leases, which they base on prevailing property value, without consideration of tenants’ trading positions. Not many booksellers can operate properly on such premium pricing in central areas.

When considering how to secure affordable spaces for booksellers, it would be worth studying how certain older buildings and locations can be zoned exclusively for socially valuable trades, such as books, with appropriate concessions given for a specified period. Even though such zoning might mean lower rents for landlords, businesses that promote social good are worth supporting.

Chinese films: So far, so good
[China, China Daily, 12-07-2013]

It seems to be the best of times for China’s film industry. With Tiny Times raking in 263 million yuan (US$42.89 million) in the last four days of June (it was released on June 27), the domestic film market registered its highest half-yearly box office returns -10.9 billion yuan in the first half of 2013. More importantly, Chinese films accounted for 63 per cent of the box office revenue. But the question is: Can this success be sustained and can Chinese films really compete against Hollywood blockbusters?

“There is still an element of luck behind the record box office revenue. Most Hollywood movies screened in China in the first half of this year were similar in content, and Chinese cinemagoers are tired of watching American superheroes saving the world.” says Peng Kan, research and development director at Beijing-based consulting company Legend Media. In contrast, domestic films including Tiny Times and other strong box office performers have been dealing with real life issues and telling stories which young Chinese cinemagoers can associate with.

Creative marketing strategies are another reason for the success of domestic films. And social media marketing have played a special role in boosting the profile of Chinese movies.

The box office success of domestic films also reflects the interests and tastes of “middle China”. It is thus likely that this support for domestic films will wane since viewers’ interests could gradually switch from domestic to overseas movies. So despite the improvements in content and marketing strategies, Chinese movies cannot expect to draw cinemagoers for a long time.

In the US, the box office usually accounts for only 22 per cent of the total revenue generated by a film. The rest comes from non-theatrical releases and film-related products such as books, toys and even theme parks. But in China, the box office accounts for more than 80 per cent of a film’s total revenue. Therefore, the record box office revenue in the first six months doesn’t mean domestic movies have become more competitive.

*US$1=6.1 yuan

Poisoned platter: Educating all of India’s children requires fixing its broken midday meal scheme
[India, The Times of India, 19-07-2013]

If India’s school enrolment rate has risen close to 100%, midday meal schemes deserve a share of the credit. But what Bihar’s midday meal tragedy – which has killed at least 27 children so far – underlines is that there is absolutely no room for complacency. When students cannot even be guaranteed safe food, it seriously reduces the odds of their being taught to read and multiply well.

Simultaneously, we have heard of over 100 children hospitalised after eating a midday meal in Tamil Nadu, of the massive diversion of funds meant to feed poor children in Madhya Pradesh, and of the supply of 400 quintals of substandard food in West Bengal. Those scandals could have been averted if the concerned governments had paid heed to various warning signals and alerts posted by monitoring agencies.

In the Bihar case, the state government has responded with evasive conspiracy theories, Mamata-style and is not going to fix the midday meal scheme or reassure parents about its safety. What would is if the government were to follow up the inquiry it has announced into the tragedy with stringent punishment for all those responsible, sending the signal that there are consequences for apathy and neglect. Moreover, it is essential to provide enough resources and staffing for the proper functioning of midday meals. Parents of school-going children can be roped in to monitor the quality of meals. If it could be made mandatory for principals of schools to taste the meals before they are provided to children that would surely have a salutary effect on their quality.

The original vision of the midday meal scheme envisaged community supervision and transformation – all children would eat together, building bonds transcending the partitions of gender, religion and caste; poor parents would enjoy a sense of ownership in their children’s education. Although its administration has been quite inadequate, this idea is indisputably grand. The Bihar tragedy demands all states recommit to it with sincerity and accountability.