Japan 'can show strength via relief'

Japan 'can show strength via relief'

Hiroshi Hiyama, Agence France-Presse/Jakarta/Tokyo

With its money and expertise in disasters, Japan can seize the
moment in the tsunami aftermath to show its commitment to the
rest of Asia and strengthen its political and economic standing,
analysts said on Friday.

Amid concern about whether governments will pull through on
their massive pledges, Japan has promised to be a good donor --
and analysts said its money should be geared for maximum
visibility in tsunami-hit countries.

"There is no doubt that this is a huge opportunity for Japan,"
said Kosuke Mizuno, professor at the Center for Southeast Asian
Studies at the Kyoto University.

"With quick, decisive and large relief actions, Japan can gain
support of the Asian public and governments," he said.

Japan said on Friday it was ready to send up to 1,000 defense
personnel to help victims of the Asian tsunami disaster in what
would be its biggest military deployment since World War II if
they are all deployed.

"There is a need of transportation. There is a need of medical
care. There is a need of prevention of epidemics," Japanese
defense chief Yoshinori Ono told a news conference ahead of a
tour of disaster-hit countries.

"We are ready to send approximately up to 1,000 people from
the Self-Defense Forces," he said, referring to the Japanese
military.

At the emergency tsunami summit held in Jakarta on Thursday,
Japan began doling out to the United Nations and governments its
US$500 million in grants and said it would all be handed over by
the end of March.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, speaking just after UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan appealed for $977 million, called on
other governments to do the same.

He also pledged that Japan would lend its expertize on
tsunamis to set up a system to predict massive waves in the
Indian Ocean of the type that were so devastating on Dec. 26.

Japan has put on standby 1,000 defense personnel to head to
the disaster zone in what would be the officially pacifist
country's largest military mission abroad since 1945 if they are
all deployed.

Japan has been striving to be seen as more than a financial
power, sending troops to Iraq and pushing for a permanent seat on
the UN Security Council.

But its role has been increasingly challenged by a confident
China, which has also tried to step up its visibility in the
tsunami crisis by promising $83 million in aid.

"By coordinating efforts with the United States, Japan can
maximize the impact of its aid, while China has been successful
in forging close ties with ASEAN," the Southeast Asian bloc, said
Kazuro Umezu, former professor of international politics and
Asian studies at Nagoya-Gakuin University.

Before the tsunamis, Japan was by far the biggest donor for
worst-hit country Indonesia, giving more than $1.1 billion in aid
in 2003 alone.

Japan has proposed an international debt repayment moratorium
for the catastrophe-hit countries.

But it has not opted for debt forgiveness, with a Japanese
diplomat saying such a move may damage victim nations' credit
worthiness for future loans.

Mizuno of the Kyoto University said debt relief could be a
powerful symbolic tool.

"Indonesia sees Japanese debt has a serious burden on the
nation's finance," Mizuno said. "Japan doesn't have to forgive
all of the debt. Debt forgiveness would be seen, at least by the
Indonesian government and local opinion leaders, as a gesture of
generosity by Japan.

"The decision has to be made quickly if Japan were to make the
best impression as an Asian leader," Mizuno said.

But despite the possible geopolitical gains from the huge
grants, some Japanese analysts said the tsunami relief might
bring a political backlash against Koizumi by a Japanese public.

While it does not compare with the more than 165,000 people
killed in the tsunamis, Japan had a disaster-prone 2004 when it
was hit by a record 10 typhoons killing 216 people. Another 40
people died and 2,850 others were injured in a powerful
earthquake in October.

In an extra budget for the year to March, Japan plans to set
aside 1.36 trillion yen, or nearly $13 billion, for domestic
disaster relief.

"Japan must do what it can to help the Asian tsunami victims.
This is a prime opportunity for Japan to shine as an Asian
superpower," said Hidenori Ijiri, political science professor at
the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

"But the government must consider Japan's public opinion about
victims of natural disasters here," he said.