Fourteen Hong Kong activists climbed aboard a fishing boat Wednesday and claimed China’s sovereignty over uninhabited islands controlled by Japan. After an abortive attempt to set up flags, they were all arrested.
Seven from the group dropped from the boat and swam to the islet at 4:30 p.m., carrying five flags and singing the Chinese national anthem. Two returned to the boat, called the Bao Diao II—or “Defend the Diaoyu II” (“Diaoyu” is the name of the islands in Chinese). Having been followed by around 30 Japanese Coast Guards and police, all activists were arrested on charges of illegal entry, according to The Japan Times.
“The Japanese have no right to stop us,” David Ko, a Hong Kong activist spokesman, told The Associated Press. “This is the territory of China.”
The five small islands are uninhabited and lie in the East China Sea. There have been several attempts by the activists to reach the islands, but the last successful landing was in 1996, by the same group who ventured on this journey.
The Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands was founded in 1996. It had 14 of its 50 members embark on this recent foray; the activists encountered storm warnings, and some of their food fell overboard, according to the Wall Street Journal. They landed on the 67th anniversary of Japan’s surrender in World War II.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura, stated that Japan owned the Senkaku Islands by law, and had exercised ownership for over a century. He asserted that Japan’s sovereignty should not be questioned, according to AP.
Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihiko Noda was asked about how they would resolve the situation: “We will handle this strictly in line with the law,” he said, according to The Japan Times.
The activists have been moved to Okinawa Island. The Japan Times said they will either be put on trial, or deported.
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