European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and strikes world Friday december 16,1994 another japanese boy. I. ,. _.,.kills self after bullying Tokyo. A for the third time in less than three weeks a japanese boy has committed suicide be cause of bullying by his classmates police said thurs Day. The string of suicides has been the top item on news casts and television talk shows As Japan tries to come to grips with the bullying and its causes. The body of the 15-year-old was found wednesday evening hanging from a tree in a wooded area in his neighbourhood police said. There were three of them that constantly bullied me the boy said in a suicide note Kyodo news serv ice reported. The death came one Day after Japan s Cabinet held a special session to discuss ways to Stem the risen bully ing. Y.xv-. Japan s education ministry also has instructed schools to take special measures to halt the bullying and parliament has discussed the Issue As Well. Bullying and school violence Are pervasive problems in Japan s highly regimented and conformist school sys tem. Pupils who Are different from their classmates Are often the victims and frequently Are reluctant to admit the bullying to parents or teachers. The education ministry says there were 21,598 re ported cases of bullying during the 1993 school year. J3ut Many cases Are believed to go unreported. Some people blame the bullying on the pressure to conform and to pass difficult High school and College Entrance exams while others say parents Are not prop Erly teaching values to their children. The boy who was not identified by name was a Stu Dent at Ishikawa Junior High school in Fukushima 149 Miles Northeast of Tokyo. On thursday school officials stood in a Row and bowed deeply to apologize for the boy s death. In a related Case police in Central Japan said they had taken two Junior High school girls into custody for leading a group beating of four other girls in a Park on nov. 23, a 13-year-old boy hanged himself in his Back Yard after being bullied by classmates into giving them More than 1 million japanese yen $10,000 Over three years. He reportedly took the Money from his parents who were a hesitant about confronting him. A Pupil involved in the bullying told a newspaper that he saw nothing wrong with what he did and that the group of tormentors was just having fun. On dec. 6, another 13-year-old boy in Central Japan committed suicide after bullying by his classmates. Children under 16 do not face criminal prosecution in Japan. Homeward bound an f-15 Eagle flies Over the red sea recently on its 7,000-mile journey Home to Langley ,va., after in flight refuelling by a Kc-10 Tanker. Six jets returned to Langley on tuesday following a nearly four month deployment in the persian Gulf in support of operation Southern watch enforcing the no Fly zone South of Iraq s 32nd parallel and operation vigilant Warrior to prevent iraqi troops from again invading Kuwait. Superstitions unlucky China leaders say Beijing a China is becoming More superstitious All the time when what it needs is More science the country s top leaders said in a new official document publicized wednesday. It s shocking a circular by the Central committee of the communist party and the state Council the highest governing body said of the spread of superstition ignorant activities and pseudoscience. Superstitious practices nationwide Are getting worse with each passing Day said the High level document which was published wednesday in the people s daily and other National state run newspapers. It called for the popularization of science and technology to improve policy making and the Standard of living. Superstition is rooted in poverty and Only Sci ence can eliminate poverty the circular said. The government plans to set up a science promotion program nationwide for its next five year plan which starts in 1996. The circular mentioned fortuneteller and appeals to gods and spirits for help and material gain As some of the practices that administrative and judicial branches of government should clean up. However it did not specify what measures should be taken. Authorities in China have Long denounced what they Call Feudal superstitious  but they have not been Able to Stop them. Religious scholars in China say that the country s peasants who make up the great majority of the population tend to turn to gods and spirits for help in cases of sickness or other difficulties. In the cities fortuneteller can be found in markets railway stations and nearly anywhere that crowds gather. Sunken Estonia to remain. -. O on floor of Baltic sea from the associated press Stockholm Sweden Sweden decided thursday to leave 818 bodies inside the sunken ferry Estonia and preserve the wreck As a graveyard on the Bottom of the Baltic sea. The Long awaited decision ended nearly three months of uncertainty for supporters and opponents of the Salvage which would have been costly emotionally and financially. The decision is that Estonia shall remain inthe sea a prime minister Ingvar Carlsson said in announcing the decision during a speech to parliament. Although technically feasible at an estimated cos of 500 minion swedish Kroner $67 Millionth Salvage in the end was scrapped because official Felt that they would never be Able to identify or retrieve All the bodies. Carlsson said the emotional toll on Salvage would have been intense and unnecessary particularly on divers who might have to search fort Odies in the wreck. More than 900 people died sept. 28 after a Baltic sea storm Tore Oft the Estonia s huge front cargo door while most passengers slept. The vessel Sank in about 30 minutes. Only 137 people survived and just 94 bodies were recovered. Because passenger lists were unreliable authorities say they May never know exactly How Many went Down with the wreck. Chinese withdraw Seoul South Korea China on thursday completed its withdrawal from the military armistice commission that has overseen the truce that ended the korean War in 1953, Seoul s official North Korea watchdog reported. Naeroe press quoting the North s official korean Central news Agency said the delegates left at noon for China after a Farewell ceremony attended by the head of North Korea s military commission Lee Chang Bok. The withdrawal signifies China s support for the North s Effort to replace the armistice commission with a peace treaty North Korea said. Jet crashes in Russia Moscow a Small passenger Jet crashed shortly after Takeoff Early thursday killing one person and injuring at least five others emergency officials said. The German owned Learjet 35, bound for Magnitogorsk in the ural mountains crashed shortly after Midnight at Sheremetyevo-2, Moscow main International Airport said Karl Smolikov a spokesman for the ministry for emergency situations. The crash of the twin engine Jet killed the Pilot and trapped the co Pilot in the cockpit until rescuers could free him. The co Pilot and one passenger were hospitalized the other three passengers we retreated at the scene Smolikov said. There were no further details immediately available. Weather claims drunks Moscow eleven people have died of hypothermia on Moscow streets this month and All of them were drunk officials said thursday. December has been cold and snowy in the russian capital. The overnight temperature dipped to 1 degree fahrenheit Early thursday. Medical officials have Long noticed that the number of frostbite or hypothermia victims usually is highest on weekends and holidays said Igor Nader Din a spokesman for the Moscow medical directorate. Italy oks flood Relief Rome the government approved thursday11 trillion italian lire $6.7 billion to Aid areas in Northern Italy devastated by last month s flooding which claimed 64 lives and caused extensive damage. Interior minister Roberto Maroni said the Money will be available in january. The total includes 5 trillion lire $3 billion for businesses 2 trillion lire $1.2 billion for property damage Anil 4 trillion lire $2.4 billion for Public works repair