Families of detained Yasukuni Shrine protesters seek China's help

What a joke. They entered Japan for the express purpose of carrying out anti-Japan activity breaking Japanese law in the process. They should be grateful that they aren't treated the way foreigners would be treated if they did the same thing in China.

They need to stop whining.

They flew to a country with the intent to trespass on people’s property and start an arson.

If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.

Japan is a democratic nation, there is nothing wrong to express opinions freely. Immediately let them go, they are neighbours.

Anyone, whether Japanese or non-Japanese starts a fire anywhere will be arrested. You just can't set fires! They got busted, deal with it!

Akie

So starting a fire in a public place is ok? Try doing that in China and see what happens.

And how would the Chinese police react if someone started a fire in Tiananmen Square?

serendipitous1, it is not ok, but it is justified ? Education is good enough to let them know. Don't make small things more complicated than necessary.

dbsaiya, you will lose your social credit, that is it.

So starting a fire in a public place is ok? Try doing that in China and see what happens.

Starting a public fire?

Just look what the CCP does to those who engage in the terrible crime of freedom of speech.

Smart govt will minimize negative impact on the relationship, only stupid govt will amplify it.

China, constitutionally speaking, protect freedom of speech. Chinese have much more diversified views than Japanese.

How about criticising the CCP and its autocratic rule?

Is that protected? I've heard otherwise.

Jimizo, why would you criticize someone if he/she doesn't do anything wrong?

The CCP don't do anything wrong?

Historically they've done atrocious things. Have they cleaned up their act recently?

News to me and the brave Chinese people who criticise them.

@akie didn't China just throw an old Japanese guy in jail for allegedly spying not to mention many more for similar alleged charges? Not to mention those that got caught trying to smuggle drugs out of China into Japan that were executed a few years ago... Regardless, I am sure the stupid protesters will get release in due course but starting a fire in a public place like Yasukuni, they knew that was not gonna go unanswered. I can't imagine what China would do if a Japanese national tried to start a fire to protest at the Nanking memorial saying that the numbers of those massacred were far less or never happened, etc.. Yeah, let's see what kind of treatment a Japanese political activist will get in China under similar circumstances.

dbsaiya: And how would the Chinese police react if someone started a fire in Tiananmen Square?

Run over by a tank, maybe?

@Akie, setting a fire is NOT freedom of "speech", it's arson! End of story!

This one is pretty simple, if they had just raised a sign & started shouting they would have been likely politely shuffled away & put on a plane home a day to 2 later, BUT they decided to ad FIRE to the mix...….

That was just STUPID!! And ramped up the situation to NOBODIES liking!

I predict it will take a bit more time & they will get shipped home to a "hero's" welcome

I a NO fan of yasukuni sneaking in the war criminals & all that, but you don't go setting fires, that daft & dangerous

Go abroad, commit a crime to then asking their government to help them get free and turn it into a political charade. Typical China.

Akie, you should look for the definition of "arson" in a dictionary.

China's Foreign Ministry has called on Japan to ensure the legal interests of the two.

That is the only response given by China. Looks like China is not interested in help you two lol.

If you get caught taking a dump in someone else's yard you are gonna get punished for it. Suck it up fools! These jokers could be facing a couple of years in a Japanese prison for their idiocy.

True dat

But they also made a big deal when some obachan (I think) squirted some oil on the wood at some shrine. I really just looked like a dog had peed on it, but it was a big big deal.

Seems to me that Japan should use the standard PRC line.

"This is a [Japanese] internal manner. We strongly protest foreign countries interfering in our internal affairs."

Protesting is one thing.

Flying to Japan and setting fires is something on another level.

To the familes who want to know how Kwok Siu-kit and Yim Man-wa, are doing? If you are reading.

Read this.

https://www.quora.com/What-is-prison-like-in-Japan

Enyoy your stay! You have earned it.

Go burn an effigy of Mao while screaming for democracy in Tianmen Square and see how long you last. Good news is, you won’t have to hunger strike while in custody, you won’t last long enough to see a meal.... or trial.

Japan is a democratic nation, there is nothing wrong to express opinions freely.

Setting something on fire is not "expressing an opinion."

Setting something on fire is not "expressing an opinion."

Exactly. Like it or not, Yasukuni is private property and a registered religious facilty where protests and such are banned. Public venues also have strict fire codes against open fires. If these guys set up a soap box at Hachiko and shouted their drivel there, there would have been no issue. And in most civilized nations, any protest that will potentially obstruct traffic or pedestrian freedom of movement must be applied for beforehand. As Protestors have a right to protest; everyone has the right to freedom of passage through public spaces and property owners have administrative rights of their property.

Gee we already know how foreigners would be treated in China for doing the same thing... That crime plus espionage charges

Hey how about those Canadians, China? We know more about what these Yasukuni protestors did than what the Canadians did

They are criminals and should be treated as such. If they want to go on a hunger strike GOOD let them less money the tax payers have to spend on their meals. Don't commit a crime if you can't deal with the consequences.