Tokyo: Prosecutors have submitted to the
Diet part of video footage of collisions between a Chinese
trawler and Japanese patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands in
September, government officials have said.
The footage is said to prove that the Chinese fishing
boat was responsible for the September 7 collisions off the
Japanese-controlled islets in the East China Sea, which are
claimed by Beijing.
Its release could further complicate Japan-China
relations that have deteriorated since the collisions to their
lowest point in years.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said at a news
conference that the footage shows why Japanese authorities
decided to detain and arrest the trawler`s captain after the
collisions.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan saw the footage last morning
with Sengoku, the top government spokesman said.
It was the first time that Kan had seen any footage of
the collisions, Sengoku said.
The footage handed over to the Diet runs for about 6 to 7
minutes and is not the full version shot at the time by the
Japan Coast Guard, the officials said.
The House of Representatives Budget Committee decided on
October 13 to demand that the Naha District Public Prosecutors
Office submit video footage of the collisions.
The panel discussed when and to whom it should be
released but did not reach a conclusion.
The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Japan
are considering allowing only a limited number of lawmakers to
see the footage out of concern that Japan-China ties could
worsen further, while many opposition lawmakers say it must be
fully disclosed.
PTI
