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Japan demands swift release of fishermen detained by Russia

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"This is unacceptable," he said, adding the fishing crews had done nothing wrong. "The government is strongly demanding, from a humanitarian perspective, the early release of the crew and ships."

they clearly did something wrong they were fishing in Russian waters, If Japan can detain Koreans/Chinese for fishing in their waters then Russia also has a similar claim. Easy fix Japanese government must tell Japanese fishermen not to fish in foreign waters or youll lose your fishing licenses.

Japanese and international waters only

7 ( +15 / -8 )

Russia is a sovereign state,I don’t agree with it’s politics.

But if the held these fishermen there must be a valid reason.

Otherwhise they won’t risk diplomatic frictions.

7 ( +15 / -8 )

I'm sure Russia is quaking in her boats at Japan.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

The waters around the islands are not sovereign territory under international law as the Russian clam is not recognised, they are disputed waters. As such from the Japanese perspective the fishermen had every right to be there, from the Russian perspective they were fishing illegally. There is in this situation no legally right or wrong answer except depending on your perspective.

What is undoubtedly true is that ordinary people caught up in the squabbles of states get crushed. Best steer well clear.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

The Russians don't want money do they?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Yet, based on these shaky foundations (kinda like South Korea's claim about the Japan sea or Takeshima), the usual crowd sees fit to blindly side against Japan as is typical.

I welcome every body's views on any issues. They can be contrary to mine too. I have no need to conform to anybody's view to be " acceptable ". I'm able, mostly with some modicum of intelligence, express my views and welcome everyone's perspectives too. In the end, we are tolerant of one another exactly because we are different.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Talk of "humanitarian". Remember what they did to the NKorean vessel recently ? Russians are above such I morality.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The ships were fishing for octopus near the four islands when they were taken by Russian ships for "investigations" on suspicion they had violated fishing agreements,

Before I start demanding anything, I would really like to know what these 'fishing agreements' are and if both countries actually agreed to abide by them.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

and there will be NO peace treaty.

Little hint: threatening someone when THEY hold all the cards (namely the Kuriles) and have what you want, while you have very little that they want... is not a good position to negotiate or threaten from. Here's what the meeting would go like:

Taro Kono: "We won't give you a peace treaty!"

Sergei Lavrov: "Fine. And?"

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Excuse me, Toshimitsu Motegi: "We won't give you a peace treaty?"

Sergei Lavrov: "Fine. And? By the way, where's Taro?"

2 ( +5 / -3 )

How fascinating, the very same people who blindly side against Japan whenever North Korean fishing vessels violate Japanese fishing waters, or when South Koreans claim Takeshima islands, now suddenly see fit to blindly side with Russia claiming legalities and territorial claims.

The 1951 San Francisco Treaty, which the Soviet Union didn't sign, doesn't even recognize the Soviet Union's claim of sovereignty over the islands, and in 2005 the European Parliament recommended returning the islands to Japan. So even from a legal standpoint, Russia doesn't have any right to these islands.

Yet, based on these shaky foundations (kinda like South Korea's claim about the Japan sea or Takeshima), the usual crowd sees fit to blindly side against Japan as is typical.

2 ( +11 / -9 )

"This is unacceptable," he said, adding the fishing crews had done nothing wrong. "The government is strongly demanding, from a humanitarian perspective, the early release of the crew and ships."

Yeah and Russia will thumb their nose and release them at their leisure. Stay out of sovereign waters.

Ganbare Japan: Outrageous. Russia, free the innocent fishermen immediately or face trade sanctions and there will be NO peace treaty.

Uh, no, they trespassed into Russian waters and they knew they did. Either stealing fish or making some right wing nut point. Only outrageous that the Japanese gov't is siding with and excusing poachers.

1 ( +13 / -12 )

vanityofvanitiesToday  04:55 pm JST

By the way I heard before, Americans do not eat octopus. They think they are "monsters" of the sea.

There are many Americans of Mediterranean descent who eat octopus. It can be found in supermarkets on the East Coast under the name "pulpo".

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1 ( +5 / -4 )

The timing for all of this is suspect, as if they don't want a peace treaty at all.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I wonder if Japan could invade and take back those Islands. A radical solution I admit. Stalin signed a non aggression pact with Japan during WW2 and then broke it by invading Japan. If the war hadn't ended quickly Russia would have occupied as much of Japan as it could and would have kept it to this day. I am not trying to justify the atomic bombs ending the war quickly.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Russia does this all the time. To everybody.

0 ( +14 / -14 )

"This is unacceptable," he said, adding the fishing crews had done nothing wrong. "The government is strongly demanding, from a humanitarian perspective, the early release of the crew and ships."

When it comes to dealing with detention, and humanities, I don't think that Japan is in any position to demand on this particular perspective.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Russia, a proud bully.

-5 ( +12 / -17 )

Outrageous. Russia, free the innocent fishermen immediately or face trade sanctions and there will be NO peace treaty.

-5 ( +13 / -18 )

Octopus is one of the must item of new year dishes in Japan. For the fishermen, it should have been the best season of the year and ignored the regulations, I guess. By the way I heard before, Americans do not eat octopus. They think they are "monsters" of the sea.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Russia is a sovereign state,I don’t agree with it’s politics.

Sovereign and civilized . They're both cognisant and assessive of- the multifaceted prongs in human relationships, like humanitarian, social, economic, political, military e.t.c. hence treat each prong on its merit. They therefore won't sink so low as to sink peasant-fishetmens boats as if they were an invading force, like one country did recently to other foreign peasant- fishermen simply eking out a living.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

@William77

But if the held these fishermen there must be a valid reason.

Japanese fishing boats were caught fishing inside Russian EEZ around the Kurils.

-7 ( +5 / -12 )

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