14 held after Chinese flag raised on Diaoyu Islands
By Yang Jian |
August 16, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Fourteen Chinese activists, including seven who landed on the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea, have been arrested, Japanese police in Okinawa said last night.
The activists had arrived on a Hong Kong fishing boat to assert China's sovereignty over the disputed islands on the 67th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.
They were arrested on suspicion of "illegal entry" at around 5:30pm, a Japanese coastguard spokesman told Xinhua news agency.
"The activists ignored warnings from Japan before landing on the islands. But none of the arrested were hurt," police said, adding that the arrested activists would be transferred to Naha, the capital of Okinawa.
"They may be transferred to the Immigration Bureau of Japan later and sent back to Hong Kong."
The fishing vessel, Kai Fung No. 2, was carrying activists from Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese mainland when it broke through more than 10 Japanese coastguard vessels that fired water cannon and rammed the vessel to try to prevent it from landing.
Waded ashore
The vessel was stranded near the islands when several of the men onboard jumped into the water, swam and then waded ashore.
Despite the dozens of Japanese coastguards on the islands, the activists managed to land and plant a Chinese flag on the island.
But they were soon arrested and the flag was taken away.
David Ko, a spokesman for the activists, told Hong Kong reporters that at least seven had made it ashore but were later "held for questioning."
China has asked Japan to refrain from taking any action that could endanger the safety of the lives and property of Chinese citizens going to the Diaoyu Islands, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a press statement.
"China is paying close attention to the developments of relevant issues, and it has expressed its serious concerns over the issues to the Japanese side," Qin said, adding that China's position on the Diaoyu Islands issue remains "clear and resolute."
China made representations to Japan late last night, while earlier in the day the Japanese government summoned Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo to lodge a protest.
The 14 activists, who belong to a group called the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands, left for the islands on the Chinese-flagged vessel from Hong Kong on Sunday.
"We are protesting Japanese lawmakers' plan to land on the islands on August 19," said Chan Miu-tak, the group's chairman.
Safeguard sovereignty
"We want to reach the islands before the Japanese lawmakers and place the Chinese flag there to show our determination to safeguard China's sovereignty over the islands," he said.
In a satellite telephone conversation with the Hong Kong base, activist Tsang Kin-shing said their vessel had been surrounded and followed by up to nine Japanese coastguard ships and one helicopter.
Chinese activists have made repeated attempts to reach the islands, but apart from one successful landing in 1996 they have been blocked by Japanese patrol vessels.
Friction over the uninhabited islands, near potentially rich gas deposits, had been heating up recently.
Japanese Prime minister Yoshihiko Noda last Thursday said Japan was ready to send in the military if necessary to protect the disputed islands of Senkaku, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei then expressed China's "grave concern" and "strong displeasure" over what he described as the "highly irresponsible remarks" made by Noda.
"Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been part of China's inherent territory since ancient times," Hong said.
The activists had arrived on a Hong Kong fishing boat to assert China's sovereignty over the disputed islands on the 67th anniversary of Japan's surrender at the end of World War II.
They were arrested on suspicion of "illegal entry" at around 5:30pm, a Japanese coastguard spokesman told Xinhua news agency.
"The activists ignored warnings from Japan before landing on the islands. But none of the arrested were hurt," police said, adding that the arrested activists would be transferred to Naha, the capital of Okinawa.
"They may be transferred to the Immigration Bureau of Japan later and sent back to Hong Kong."
The fishing vessel, Kai Fung No. 2, was carrying activists from Hong Kong, Macau and the Chinese mainland when it broke through more than 10 Japanese coastguard vessels that fired water cannon and rammed the vessel to try to prevent it from landing.
Waded ashore
The vessel was stranded near the islands when several of the men onboard jumped into the water, swam and then waded ashore.
Despite the dozens of Japanese coastguards on the islands, the activists managed to land and plant a Chinese flag on the island.
But they were soon arrested and the flag was taken away.
David Ko, a spokesman for the activists, told Hong Kong reporters that at least seven had made it ashore but were later "held for questioning."
China has asked Japan to refrain from taking any action that could endanger the safety of the lives and property of Chinese citizens going to the Diaoyu Islands, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a press statement.
"China is paying close attention to the developments of relevant issues, and it has expressed its serious concerns over the issues to the Japanese side," Qin said, adding that China's position on the Diaoyu Islands issue remains "clear and resolute."
China made representations to Japan late last night, while earlier in the day the Japanese government summoned Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo to lodge a protest.
The 14 activists, who belong to a group called the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands, left for the islands on the Chinese-flagged vessel from Hong Kong on Sunday.
"We are protesting Japanese lawmakers' plan to land on the islands on August 19," said Chan Miu-tak, the group's chairman.
Safeguard sovereignty
"We want to reach the islands before the Japanese lawmakers and place the Chinese flag there to show our determination to safeguard China's sovereignty over the islands," he said.
In a satellite telephone conversation with the Hong Kong base, activist Tsang Kin-shing said their vessel had been surrounded and followed by up to nine Japanese coastguard ships and one helicopter.
Chinese activists have made repeated attempts to reach the islands, but apart from one successful landing in 1996 they have been blocked by Japanese patrol vessels.
Friction over the uninhabited islands, near potentially rich gas deposits, had been heating up recently.
Japanese Prime minister Yoshihiko Noda last Thursday said Japan was ready to send in the military if necessary to protect the disputed islands of Senkaku, known as the Diaoyu Islands in China.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei then expressed China's "grave concern" and "strong displeasure" over what he described as the "highly irresponsible remarks" made by Noda.
"Diaoyu Island and its affiliated islands have been part of China's inherent territory since ancient times," Hong said.
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