(LinkAsia: August 17, 2012)
Yul Kwon:
World War Two ended 67 years ago this week. The conclusion of the war was marked by Japan's unconditional surrender. But the country's neighbors, especially South Korea and China, still feel that Tokyo hasn't shown enough remorse over the Japanese army’s brutality throughout the conflict. As a result, the anniversary has become a time of protest against Japan.

This week, there was a new development in a long-simmering dispute over the islands that Japan calls Senkaku. Japan controls the islands, but they’re also claimed by China and Taiwan. Japanese authorities arrested a group of Hong Kong activists for illegally entering the islands. Here's the story from Japanese broadcaster NHK.

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NHK World NEWSLINE
Airdate: August 15, 2012

Reporter:
Coast Guard spokespersons say seven activists on a fishing boat landed Wednesday on the Senkakus in the East China Sea. Japan considers the islands part of its southernmost prefecture Okinawa.

Police say the activists jumped off the boat and swam to Uotsuri Island. Two of them went back to the vessel soon after landing. Officers arrested the five activists who remained on the island on charges of illegal entry into Japanese territory.

The fishing boat left Hong Kong Sunday. It entered Japanese territorial waters near the Senkakus despite repeated warnings from coast guard patrol vessels.

In 2004, a group of seven Chinese activists landed on Uotsuri Island. Japanese authorities arrested them on charges of illegal entry and deported them. In 2010, a Chinese trawler collided with two Japanese patrol boats off the Senkakus. Research ships, fisheries, patrol boats and other vessels from China have frequently entered Japanese territorial waters since then.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced in July that his government is planning to purchase some of the islands from private owners and nationalize them.

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Yul Kwon:
News reports from Tokyo say that Japan has deported 14 Chinese. The government didn't want relations with Beijing to deteriorate further.