The Periscope Post

The New York Times “Some justice for Cambodia”

Kaing Guek Eav, known as Duch, was this week convicted by a UN court of war crimes and crimes against humanity. “We understand why many of the victims of the Khmer Rouge and their families were disappointed that he was not given life in prison,” said The New York Times. “He should never taste freedom, but at least he was held to account.” The paper looked forward to the trial of four more senior Khmer Rouge commanders, but also found it “disturbing” that Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, will not prosecute more suspects than the ones in custody. “One has to ask, whom is he trying to protect?” said the paper.

The Washington Post “Ungovernable Japan”

Last year the Democratic Party of Japan “soundly trounced” its conservative opponents. But its time in government has not been easy. “Plans for a new welfare state collided with Japan’s stagnant economy and mammoth debt.” There were corruption charges reminiscent of “the old days”. But The Washington Post chose to focus on the positives of Japan’s instability, which, it said, reflects “a healthy debate” about whether to raise taxes or cut spending. The paper affirmed the “hugely important” relationship between Japan and the US and was relieved that the Japanese people – who rejected their former Prime Minister (Hatoyama)’s recent flirting with China – appear to feel the same.

The Los Angeles Times “Can Arizona’s immigration law be stopped?”

Arizona’s damaging new immigration law is set to take effect on Thursday. If that happens, “Latinos will almost certainly find themselves subject to increased racial profiling, and the state will have resorted to a harsh and unfair policy to solve a problem that requires a nuanced and comprehensive approach,” said The Los Angeles Times. The federal government has sought an injunction to prevent the law from going into effect. The paper supported this, conceded that federal government “has failed to solve the immigration problem”, but concluded: “the solution is not a mishmash of angry laws adopted on a state-by-state basis. Washington must retain the authority to solve the problem, and then Washington must act”.

The Boston Globe “Exile in Siberia it isn’t”

“Tony Hayward is getting his life back,” mocked The Boston Globe, in reference to Hayward’s PR disaster of a complaint. “But the personnel change doesn’t ensure progress toward fixing the company’s safety problems, and Hayward’s plush severance deal does little to promote accountability.” The paper criticised Hayward’s “golden parachute” and hoped BP would “reinvent a culture that put profits ahead of safety”. Its new CEO, Robert Dudley, must now “woo back investors, repair ties with America, and deal with billions in cleanup costs and legal claims. But the most important thing he can do is change the perception that BP values the bottom line more than human life and a safe environment.”