History will not absolve General Tojo

Perhaps we shouldn't expect the descendants of convicted war criminals to have a realistic view of the crimes against humanity of their family members. Nevertheless, Yuko Tojo ('Defence of a man despised', June 28) really stretches reality too far. According to her simplistic view, the economic embargo imposed on Japan meant that the war was one of 'self defence'. Such nonsense ignores the fact that, long before that embargo was imposed, Japan had been taking strenuous steps to conquer much of Asia, in a war started by Japan - a war of aggression and territorial gain against many of its neighbours. The way that war was conducted, such as deliberately introducing the plague to parts of China - to say nothing of the Japanese army's truly appalling treatment of foreign civilians and combatants alike - gives the lie to her assertion. The fact that Japan chose to attack Pearl Harbour, without even declaring war on America, was rightly said by the US president at the time to be an action which will 'live in infamy'. It still does - nor will Ms Tojo's support for her grandfather, General Hideki Tojo, who authorised that unprovoked attack, ever change the true verdict upon him. PETER SMITH, Mid-Levels Taken for a ride? A report on the BBC's World Service (June 28) caused me a good deal of concern. Like many ordinary Hong Kong citizens I made generous donations to aid the tsunami victims following the disaster last December. With the BBC and many other highly respected organisations questioning the conduct of the appeal and the subsequent deployment of aid funds, I'm beginning to wonder if I was taken for a ride by those asking for donations to the affected area on behalf of the victims. I made a substantial donation to an American-based charity for which I am still awaiting a receipt, even though the CEO himself has visited Hong Kong several times since the catastrophe. I also made donations to collectors on the streets of Central, and who knows how much of that money found its way into a bank? Should there not be more transparency with these charities that operate in Asia? Are they accountable to no one? NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED Food for thought Your editorial ('Three cheers for diplomacy on a plate', June 25) suggests that westerners do not have sufficient respect for Chinese food because it is not their first choice for fine dining. Instead you should be asking why so many Chinese are reluctant to try western cuisine. The fact is that Chinese restaurants are ubiquitous in western countries and westerners make Chinese food a regular part of their diet. If it is less popular for business lunches, it is most likely out of fear that lack of familiarity with chopsticks will lead to the wearing of the food on expensive ties and suits. Now look at the flip side of the equation. In most of China it is nearly impossible to get a western meal, let alone a cup of coffee. And when Chinese tour groups travel to countries such as Italy and France - countries that also boast a long and rich culinary history - where do they go to eat? To Chinese restaurants in those countries. I have asked many Chinese tour guides in these countries about this phenomenon and the answer is always the same: 'Our Chinese tourists simply wouldn't be able to eat western food. They are not used to it.' Perhaps it is foreigners who need to convince their Chinese friends that western food is worth trying. KEITH NOYES, Sai Kung The eyes of a child Sometimes I wonder why adults forget how they experienced life as a child. An adult's perception of the naked body has nothing to do with a child's thinking and mindset. As a father I have experienced the 'men's changing room' with my daughter. Until my daughter was six years old she joined me in the men's changing room without hesitation. Men shielded their bodies with a towel and had enough respect not to offend the child. When I ask my daughter about it today, she says she does not remember a smelly room full of undressed, middle-aged men. But we laugh when we recall her questions on stomach sizes and spindly legs. When she became more conscious of her gender, she automatically started using the ladies' changing room. H. STEEN, Tuen Mun Antagonised majority Your correspondent Peter Lok ('Beware opinion warp', June 27) suggests that the government has gone to a 'benign extreme in its public consultation' and suggests that some majority factions automatically oppose whatever government proposes. He misses the point: it is not the quantity of consultations that matters, but the quality. The government has persistently cooked up proposals, using only a few people, in a secret kitchen. Currently, 'government consultations' are an oxymoron - merely a process to defend what has already been decided, and to deny hidden agendas. Public meetings have lost all credibility as a means of involving the public. On June 27, there was, fortuitously, an article about government advisory committees, by Philip Bowring ('Challenge the ruling elite, Mr Tsang'), asking why such bodies are drawn from a tiny group of families and interests when so many educated professional and business people are ignored. It is, in fact, the tyranny of the chosen few that creates the antagonism of the majority. R. E. J. BUNKER, chairman, The Living Islands Movement A helping hand I am responding to the letter 'Why does Hong Kong need helpers at home?' (June 27). The answer is not because parents in Hong Kong are irresponsible and lazy, and dump their children with their helpers once the child is born. The problem rests with the poor education and health-care systems in Hong Kong. To raise a child properly, obviously care and attention from the parents are vital ingredients, but so are proper education and health-care facilities. If you do a little research on how difficult it is to get a place with the international schools, despite the costs involved, you begin to understand how insufficient the local schools are. As for health-care facilities, I guess we have all read the recent reports that in some parts of Hong Kong, people can wait up to eight hours before they are attended to by a physician. Parents appreciate the value of spending quality time with their children and that's where helpers come into play. Helpers can do all the household chores, shopping, cooking, etc while leaving time for the parents to read stories, talk and have fun with the children. VIVIAN CHEUNG, Tseung Kwan O Tracing outbreaks Having recently suffered a bout of salmonella, picked up from a hotel, I have a particular interest in this subject. The hotel, despite being the only possible source of the infection, refused to acknowledge any responsibility. I was told by the doctor at the Matilda Hospital that the source is now registered with them, and they have a responsibility to report it to the Health Department if they receive another case from the same source this year. In a city the size of Hong Kong, with the number of hospitals we have, what are the chances of that happening? The solution, in my opinion, is that every case should be reported to the Health Department, so that an accumulation of two cases from the same source should result in serious investigation of storage and hygiene practices in the restaurant. NAME & ADDRESS SUPPLIED