Japan seizes Taiwanese fishing boat and its crew
A free trip to Okinawa they get! Oh Joy!
taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ … 06/03/13/2
[quote]
A fishing boat suspected of operating in disputed waters between Taiwan and Japan was detained by Japanese authorities yesterday, according to the Coast Guard Administration (CGA).
“The Suao-based Hsing-tungchuan No 68 ventured 37km northwest off the disputed Diaoyutai group, which is on the coast guard’s patrol line and is temporarily set at 124km off the coast – not in Japanese waters,” the coast guard said in a press statement yesterday.
The coast guard said Japanese personnel from a patrol boat inspected the fishing boat at the site, and then took it, along with its crew, to Okinawa.
Eight crew members from the boat were arrested, including Taiwanese Captain Liu Kuo-ching (劉國清), a Taiwanese crew member surnamed Shi, four Chinese nationals and two crew members from the Philippines, the coast guard said.
The coast guard said that it received reports that the fishing boat had encountered a Japanese patrol boat on Saturday afternoon at 1:30pm.
It said it immediately dispatched two vessels, the Ho-hsing and Bo-hsing, to the site.
“The CGA boats attempted to contact the fishing boat several times on the way to the site but failed. On Saturday night, the CGA boats were informed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the fishing boat was already heading to Okinawa,” the statement said.[/quote]
AC, take your best shot. 