Senkaku activists launch protest voyage from H.K.+

HONG KONG, Sept. 22 Kyodo -
Three activists and four crew members claiming Chinese sovereignty over the
Senkaku Islands set out Wednesday for the disputed area on a ''fishing trip''
from Hong Kong.
The protest by Hong Kong's Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands
appears to be over Tokyo's handling of recent ship collisions off the disputed
islands in the East China Sea that are claimed by China as the Diaoyu.
''The boat will sail to where fish are abundant,'' group chairman Chan Miu-tak
told reporters, adding they ''do not rule out fishing near Diaoyu Islands.''
Located 170 kilometers northeast of Taipei and 410 km west of Okinawa Island,
the islets' sovereignty has been in dispute among China, Taiwan and Japan, all
apparently eying the exclusive economic zone in the surrounding waters.
Numerous attempts to proclaim sovereignty at the islets in the past by the Hong
Kong group have failed as they were barred by the authorities to leave Hong
Kong waters.
And the Marine Department issued the group an instruction Tuesday that again
bars it from leaving Hong Kong waters.
''From news reports published since Sept. 14, the department has reasons to
believe that some people on the boat are not fishermen and they are not on a
voyage to fish,'' department spokesman Patrick Wong said. ''So, the department
will not allow the boat to leave Hong Kong waters.''
But Chan said all seven people onboard are licensed to operate the boat and
should not be seen as passengers.
''If still we are stopped from leaving Hong Kong waters this time, we will be
disappointed at our incompetent government,'' he said.
Japan has administered the islets since 1895 when it colonized Taiwan except
for a period after the end of World War II when they were under U.S. control
until 1972.
China and Japan renewed their dispute after a Chinese fishing boat was detained
by Japanese authorities after a collision in the disputed area earlier this
month.
The skipper of the boat, Zhan Qixiong, is still being held and his capture has
snowballed into an international issue further damaging fragile Sino-Japan
relations.
China has demanded the immediate release of Zhan while reiterating its
sovereignty over the islets.
Japan also maintains its control there and has revealed the possibility of
beefing up its military presence in nearby waters.
==Kyodo
2010-09-22 19:38:26