Japan in criminal investigation into Diaoyu footage web leak
Source: Agencies |
November 9, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPANESE authorities launched a criminal investigation yesterday into the leak of a video of a collision between Japanese coast guard vessels and a Chinese fishing boat that appeared on the Internet, raising concerns of renewed Japan-China tensions.
The video, available on YouTube last Friday, shows footage taken on September 7 of the collision near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
The coast guard requested that Tokyo prosecutors and police investigate to determine if the video was leaked by a government employee in violation of criminal codes.
"To quickly resolve the facts behind this incident, we filed a criminal complaint, as there are limits as to what we can achieve with an internal investigation," said coast guard chief Hisayasu Suzuki.
He said authorities don't yet know how the leak occurred or who is responsible.
The release of the video has raised concerns of rekindled tensions during this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, which culminate in a leaders summit this weekend in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo.
China said yesterday that President Hu Jintao will attend the two-day summit. However, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Hu is not expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan during the summit.
Liu said he had no information about any plans for a meeting. His comments appear to rule out even the possibility of one.
In Tokyo, there is debate whether the video leak occurred for political reasons. It has also raised concerns as to how the government manages sensitive material.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said that there should be renewed discussion on laws for handling government secrets, adding that "currently the penalties are not a strong enough deterrent" to prevent leaks.
The coast guard spokesman confirmed the video contained footage taken by Japanese authorities at the scene of the incident.
After the collision, China demanded an apology and compensation and cut off ministerial-level contacts.
Meanwhile, survey data released yesterday showed a deterioration in public opinion among Chinese and Japanese toward the other country.
About 79 percent of Chinese consider Japan "untrustworthy," while 81 percent consider relations between the countries to be bad, according to a telephone survey commissioned by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper and a weekly magazine published by China's official Xinhua News Agency.
Among Japanese, this year's survey found 90 percent thought ties were bad and 87 percent said China was untrustworthy. A poll last year found Japanese opinion split down the middle.
The video, available on YouTube last Friday, shows footage taken on September 7 of the collision near the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
The coast guard requested that Tokyo prosecutors and police investigate to determine if the video was leaked by a government employee in violation of criminal codes.
"To quickly resolve the facts behind this incident, we filed a criminal complaint, as there are limits as to what we can achieve with an internal investigation," said coast guard chief Hisayasu Suzuki.
He said authorities don't yet know how the leak occurred or who is responsible.
The release of the video has raised concerns of rekindled tensions during this week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, which culminate in a leaders summit this weekend in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo.
China said yesterday that President Hu Jintao will attend the two-day summit. However, Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said Hu is not expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan during the summit.
Liu said he had no information about any plans for a meeting. His comments appear to rule out even the possibility of one.
In Tokyo, there is debate whether the video leak occurred for political reasons. It has also raised concerns as to how the government manages sensitive material.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said that there should be renewed discussion on laws for handling government secrets, adding that "currently the penalties are not a strong enough deterrent" to prevent leaks.
The coast guard spokesman confirmed the video contained footage taken by Japanese authorities at the scene of the incident.
After the collision, China demanded an apology and compensation and cut off ministerial-level contacts.
Meanwhile, survey data released yesterday showed a deterioration in public opinion among Chinese and Japanese toward the other country.
About 79 percent of Chinese consider Japan "untrustworthy," while 81 percent consider relations between the countries to be bad, according to a telephone survey commissioned by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper and a weekly magazine published by China's official Xinhua News Agency.
Among Japanese, this year's survey found 90 percent thought ties were bad and 87 percent said China was untrustworthy. A poll last year found Japanese opinion split down the middle.
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