Hong Kong activists plan return to Diaoyutais
CNA and Staff Reporter 2012-09-15 14:51 (GMT+8)
Members of the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyut Islands held a press conference on their boat, the Kai Fung 2.(Photo/CNA)
Activists from Hong Kong promoting Chinese sovereignty over the disputed Diaoyutai (Diaoyu or Senkaku) islands in the East China Sea said Friday that they are planning to sail to the islands again following a landing there in August that they described as successful.
Members of the Action Committee for Defending the Diaoyu Islands announced their plan during a press conference held on their boat, the Kai Fung 2.
The committee said the vessel was damaged during its last voyage to the islands last month when it collided with a Japanese coastguard vessel. The boat has been repaired and is now awaiting maintenance checks by Hong Kong's Marine Department, expected to be completed Sept. 17.
In the meantime, the boat's license has been suspended, which means it cannot put to sea until the maintenance checks have been approved.
The committee said it will try to sail to the islands whether the checks are approved or not. It is also planning to hold an anti-Japan rally Sept. 16.
The group of uninhabited islands are claimed by Taiwan, China and Japan. They lie in an area of rich fishing grounds and undersea resources and have become a source of tension among the three claimants, especially after Japan's government this week moved to nationalize three of the islands by purchasing them from their private owner for US$26 million, sparking a fresh wave of anti-Japanese protests in China.
