A Chinese Arrested for Protesting Shrine Visit in JapanFeng Jinhua, a Chinese living in Japan was arrested by police on the spot for painting protesting words outside the gate of Yasukuni Shrine in Japan. Legal help is in urgent need for him.Reporters from Weekly Toho Times, a Japan based Chinese paper, carried out in-depth investigations on the matter. Feng, aged 31, from China's Shanxi Province, has been living for many years in Japan. He graduated from law department of a Japanese university, employed in China division of a Tokyo telephone company. Police has gone to his company for investigation. According to Feng's friends, on the evening of August 14, Feng could not control his fury after reading online news about Japanese PM Junichiro Koizumi's Shrine visit, and then decided to take action. On 10: 10 pm he rushed to the Yasukuni Shrine and poured out his indignation and protest by painting a red "accursed" on the base of a stone sculpture of a side gate. He was summarily arrested by police under the accusation of "damaging public property" and now held by a Tokyo police office. As is known, Feng's wife is still on a home visit in Taiyuan City of China, waiting for giving birth on August 24. By far, she still knows nothing about her husband's arrest. Feng can be detained for at most 20 days according to Japanese law. During the time it must be decided whether to sue and sentence him, or not to sue or release him. Feng has made contacts with Japanese lawyers in the hope of getting legal assistance but it needs money. A law expert says the issue can either be exaggerated or reduced to nothing. The former means interference of judicial departments which leads to sentences. The latter is to release him within 20 days after legal formalities considering different understanding on history between Japan and China. He also points out the urgency of legal and moral support to Feng. An official from Chinese embassy in Japan says the consular section has learned the issue and is much concerned. Feng is well entitled to ask the police to contact consular section. On August 20, officials from the consular section went to police office to meet Feng. A politics scholar travelling Japan says Feng's action is out of indignation and national sentiment, and Chinese in Japan should pay more attention to his condition and fate and offer moral, legal support to him. By PD Online staff member Li Heng |
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