Bosnia has entered its third day of street protests over unemployment and government corruption. The country has been relatively quiescent since the brutal wars of 1992-95, but the peace has been uneasy and unstable because many political issues were left unresolved. The protests reflect that unease, and have likely been precipitated by the overall slowdown in economic activity in Europe. The fear is that these protests could re-ignite the animosities of the earlier period. The protests should also be viewed in the context of the other protests in Europe against the economic situation in many countries.
Muslims are fleeing the Central African Republic, and Christians are celebrating their departure. It appears as if the humanitarian intervention by France has had little effect on the violence in the country and it does not seem as if the Muslims are receiving any protection at all.
China has opened a memorial hall in Harbin in honor of Ahn Jung-geun, an independence activist who assassinated Hirobumi Ito in 1909. At that time Korea was a protectorate (colony) of Japan, and Ito was the Japanese Governor of the protectorate. Ito had served a Japanese Prime Minister and was a highly regarded political figure. The Chinese and Koreans regard Ahn Jung-geun as a hero; the Japanese regard him as a terrorist. The memorial is part of the complex public relations campaign being waged between China and Japan. The danger is that the campaign is stoking nationalist sentiments in both countries.
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