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| Japanese police arrest Hong Kong activists who sailed to disputed islands | Japanese police arrest Hong Kong activists who sailed to disputed islands |
| (8 days later) | |
| Police in Japan say they have arrested five activists who travelled by boat from Hong Kong to a group of Japanese-controlled islands to press China's claim to the disputed territory. | Police in Japan say they have arrested five activists who travelled by boat from Hong Kong to a group of Japanese-controlled islands to press China's claim to the disputed territory. |
| A total of 14 people travelled to the group of islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in China, on the emotionally charged anniversary of Japan's second world war surrender. Taiwan also claims the islands. | A total of 14 people travelled to the group of islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in China, on the emotionally charged anniversary of Japan's second world war surrender. Taiwan also claims the islands. |
| The Japanese police said they detained five of the activists for violating immigration law. | The Japanese police said they detained five of the activists for violating immigration law. |
| China's foreign ministry said it would lodge a complaint with Japan, state news agency Xinhua reported. | China's foreign ministry said it would lodge a complaint with Japan, state news agency Xinhua reported. |
| Tensions between Japan and its Asian neighbours escalated elsewhere on Wednesday, the 67th anniversary of the end of the war. | Tensions between Japan and its Asian neighbours escalated elsewhere on Wednesday, the 67th anniversary of the end of the war. |
| Memories of Japan's wartime occupation of much of China and colonisation of South Korea remain powerful, despite close economic ties. | Memories of Japan's wartime occupation of much of China and colonisation of South Korea remain powerful, despite close economic ties. |
| Comments by the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, prompted an official protest from Japan, where he was accused of insulting the Japanese emperor, Akihito. | Comments by the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, prompted an official protest from Japan, where he was accused of insulting the Japanese emperor, Akihito. |
| Lee told a group of teachers that Akihito should apologise sincerely if he wanted to visit South Korea, saying a repeat of his 1990 expression of "deepest regrets" would not suffice. | Lee told a group of teachers that Akihito should apologise sincerely if he wanted to visit South Korea, saying a repeat of his 1990 expression of "deepest regrets" would not suffice. |
| Lee, whose visit last week to an island claimed by both Seoul and Tokyo frayed ties, called Japan an "important partner that we should work with to open the future" but added that the countries' tangled history was "hampering the common march toward a better tomorrow". | Lee, whose visit last week to an island claimed by both Seoul and Tokyo frayed ties, called Japan an "important partner that we should work with to open the future" but added that the countries' tangled history was "hampering the common march toward a better tomorrow". |
| He also urged Tokyo to do more to resolve a dispute over compensation for Korean women abducted to serve as sex slaves for wartime Japanese soldiers, known by the euphemism "comfort women" in Japan. | He also urged Tokyo to do more to resolve a dispute over compensation for Korean women abducted to serve as sex slaves for wartime Japanese soldiers, known by the euphemism "comfort women" in Japan. |
| "It was a breach of women's rights committed during wartime as well as a violation of universal human rights and historic justice. We urge the Japanese government to take responsible measures in this regard," Lee said. | "It was a breach of women's rights committed during wartime as well as a violation of universal human rights and historic justice. We urge the Japanese government to take responsible measures in this regard," Lee said. |
| Japan says the matter was closed under a 1965 treaty establishing diplomatic ties. In 1993, Tokyo issued a statement in the name of its then chief cabinet secretary and two years later set up a fund to make payments to the women, but South Korea says those moves were not official and so not enough. | Japan says the matter was closed under a 1965 treaty establishing diplomatic ties. In 1993, Tokyo issued a statement in the name of its then chief cabinet secretary and two years later set up a fund to make payments to the women, but South Korea says those moves were not official and so not enough. |
| Speaking at a ceremony marking the war's end, Japan's prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, acknowledged the "enormous damage and suffering" caused by Japan to other countries, especially in Asia. | Speaking at a ceremony marking the war's end, Japan's prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, acknowledged the "enormous damage and suffering" caused by Japan to other countries, especially in Asia. |
| "We deeply reflect upon [that] and express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families," he said, vowing that Japan would never go to war again. | "We deeply reflect upon [that] and express our deepest condolences to the victims and their families," he said, vowing that Japan would never go to war again. |
| Adding to the tensions and underscoring how history haunts Tokyo's ties with Beijing and Seoul, two Japanese cabinet ministers defied Noda to pay homage at the Yasukuni shrine for war dead that many see as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. The visits by the national public safety commission chairman, Jin Matsubara, and the transport minister, Yuichiro Hata, were the first by cabinet ministers since the Democrats swept to power in 2009, promising to forge warmer ties with the rest of Asia. | Adding to the tensions and underscoring how history haunts Tokyo's ties with Beijing and Seoul, two Japanese cabinet ministers defied Noda to pay homage at the Yasukuni shrine for war dead that many see as a symbol of Japan's past militarism. The visits by the national public safety commission chairman, Jin Matsubara, and the transport minister, Yuichiro Hata, were the first by cabinet ministers since the Democrats swept to power in 2009, promising to forge warmer ties with the rest of Asia. |
| Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Japan should reflect upon why such visits upset the rest of Asia. "The essence of the Yasukuni shrine issue is whether or not Japan can properly recognise and deal with its past history of militarism and invasion, and whether or not it can respect the feelings of its Asian victims, including those in China," Qin said. | Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Japan should reflect upon why such visits upset the rest of Asia. "The essence of the Yasukuni shrine issue is whether or not Japan can properly recognise and deal with its past history of militarism and invasion, and whether or not it can respect the feelings of its Asian victims, including those in China," Qin said. |
| Pilgrimages by the former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to Yasukuni, where 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals are honoured alongside Japan's war dead, fuelled anger in both Beijing and Seoul. | Pilgrimages by the former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to Yasukuni, where 14 Japanese leaders convicted as war criminals are honoured alongside Japan's war dead, fuelled anger in both Beijing and Seoul. |
| The rows in part reflect scepticism over the sincerity of Japan's apologies for its wartime and colonial behaviour, while feuds over rival claims to islands show how the region has failed to resolve differences since the end of Japanese occupation and colonialism. | The rows in part reflect scepticism over the sincerity of Japan's apologies for its wartime and colonial behaviour, while feuds over rival claims to islands show how the region has failed to resolve differences since the end of Japanese occupation and colonialism. |
| Tapping into anti-Japanese sentiment also remains a way to seek public support in South Korea and China, which face leadership changes in the coming months. | Tapping into anti-Japanese sentiment also remains a way to seek public support in South Korea and China, which face leadership changes in the coming months. |
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