Japan forces Taiwanese activists to retreat from islands

Jan 24, 2013- Japanese forces used water cannons to repel a ship carrying Taiwanese activists who were headed to a disputed island in the East China Sea on Thursday.

In this photo released by Japan Coast Guard 11th Regional Headquarters, a Japanese Coast Guard patrol boat uses water cannon to warn a Taiwanese leisure boat, left, and a Taiwanese Coast Guard boat off Uotsuri in Japanese and Diaoyu Dao in Chinese, January 24, 2013.

The Japanese Coast Guard says the boat, escorted by four Taiwanese government ships, was turned away about 30 kilometers from the islands, which are controlled by Japan, but also claimed by China and Taiwan.

Taiwan's official Central News Agency says the activists had wanted to reach the islands to install a statue of Matsu, the "goddess of the sea," which they believe will help protect Taiwanese fishermen in the area.

The islands, called Senkaku in Japanese and Diaoyu in Chinese, have become a flash-point for small-scale conflicts in recent months, mostly between Japanese and Chinese vessels.

This photo, released by Japan Coast Guard on January 24, 2013, shows a boat carrying Taiwanese activists, cruising in waters near the disputed islands known as Senkaku islands in Japan and Diaoyu islands in China, in the East China Sea.

More recently, both countries have also sent fighter jets to patrol the islands, raising fears of war between Asia's two largest economies.

The uninhabited islands are located in a strategic area of the East China Sea and are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially vast energy deposits.

Taiwan, which refers to the islands as Diaoyutai, has shied away from major confrontations in the dispute,although Japanese government vessels also drove off about 50 Taiwanese boats from the islands in September.

See more details : TAIWAN BOAT LEAVES ISLANDS AFTER JAPAN WATER CANNON DUEL (Yahoo News, Jan 24, 2013)