Inside Story, Consulate intrusion Premeditated: Japanese Media

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, May 15, 2002

Inside Story, Consulate intrusion Premeditated: Japanese Media

The consulate intrusion accident happened on May 8 has recently hit headlines of major newspapers and televisions in Japan, says Global Times published on May 13. The Japanese government deemed that its dignity was hurt. While the Chinese government pointed out that the action taken by Chinese police is for the security of Japanese Consulate and is under the consent of the Japanese side. The Yomiuri Shimbun exposed on May 9 that the intrusion is schemed and staged.

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Consulate intrusion in Shenyang Premeditated

The consulate intrusion accident happened on May 8, in which 5 unidentified people tried to force their way into the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang, northeast China, but immediately stopped and dragged out by Chinese police officers, has recently hit headlines of major newspapers and televisions in Japan, says Global Times published on May 13.

The Japanese government deemed that its dignity was hurt. While the Chinese government pointed out that the action taken by Chinese police is for the security of Japanese Consulate and is under the consent of the Japanese side. The Yomiuri Shimbun exposed on May 9 that the intrusion is schemed and staged.

Around 2 pm, May 8, five people of unknown identity suddenly rushed their way towards the main gate of the Japanese Consulate General in Shenyang. Since the Japanese Consul General Kiyoshi Okazaki was then in Dalian to deal with the May 7 plane crash, the deputy consul general Hideharu Umaki rushed to the gate and found three of the five people had been stopped outside by Chinese armed police officers guarding the place. While the other two broke through the gate and entered the waiting room of visa application. Soon five or six Chinese officers entered the consulate and took the two men out. During the whole course of the incident Japanese working staff had always been present on the spot.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan made comments on the incident on May 10, saying that the Chinese guards entered the consulate and brought the two persons out with the consent of a deputy consul. Later a Japanese consul contacted the Chinese side on the matter, giving consent to it that the five persons be taken away by Chinese police, and thanked the armed police officers for their efforts.

Consulate intrusion in Shenyang Premeditated (2)

According to the Vienna convention on consulate relations, the Chinese side is responsible for ensuring safety of the consulate, Kong said.

As the five persons are the unidentified and have not gone through necessary procedures, they pose a threat to the consulate and its staff. The Chinese armed police officers acted in accordance with the convention to protect the safety of the consulate. It is groundless to accuse the Chinese side of entering the consulate without consent. The Japanese side should keep calm down and understand the goodwill move on the Chinese side and not to pour oil over the fire.

The Foreign Ministry of Japan on May 11, then summoning Wu Dawei, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, denied that the consulate gave consent to Chinese officers for entry and expressed its regret at the incident, demanding an explanation from Chinese side. On May 9 Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Chinese officers' entry into the consulate is against Vienna convention and the Japanese government has lodged protest and demanded apology from China.

Global Times reporters in Japan lately noticed that Japanese newspapers carried a series of photos of the intruders and TV stations played video tapes of the whole incident. Why the reporters were just at the right spot the very moment the incident took place?

The Yomiuri Shimbun evening edition on May 11 let the cat out of the bag, saying that the intrusion is schemed and staged. Some reporters had been together with these unidentified people before the incident happened, in an attempt to "throw a hot potato" to the Chinese government.

Some non-governmental organizations of the ROK in advance contacted with the media, such as the Yonhap News Agency, to let them "wait" opposite the consulate gate and get ready their video cameras. The Yonhap News Agency and the Kyodo News Service were responsible for videotapes while AP and AFP for photos and texts.

According to ROK-based Dong-A Ilbo, the chief "instigator" of the intrusion, an ROK non-governmental organization connected with a Christian church, began to manipulate the whole matter as early as last month. The Yomiuri Shimbun also carried a photo, taken by AP, showing these "unidentified people" before their action. So it is clear that the incident is totally instigated and staged by relevant organizations and media.

The report quoted experts as saying the intrusion lays bare certain people's ulterior motives. When the Chinese guards find some people were forcing their way into the consulate their reaction the first instant is, of course, to stop them for the security of the consulate. If the guards let them in without any interception, they will surely be besmeared as "neglect of duty" by the incident schemers.

Some Japanese newspaper said their government's reaction is apparently not calm enough, the report added. When Foreign Ministry documents referred to the incident on May 8, the unidentified people were regarded as "suspects" trying to "intrude" into the consulate for "illegal actions", and the police officers "entered" the consulate, according to Jiji Press (Jiji Tsushin-sha). But later the description of the action taken by the officers was changed into "rush in", and one cannot but be bewildered to see such a sharp turn of the authority attitude.

Analysts pointed out that the Japanese government, stressing its "dignity" regardless of the facts, will do no good to help solve the matter but fall right into the trap of certain people who are not willing to see the better development of the relations between the two countries.

By PD Online Staff Member Li Heng

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