From: Stasi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Japan: Coast guard sinks unidentified vessel - Ananova HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- Ananova : Japanese coast guard sinks unidentified vessel =============================== An unidentified fishing boat defence officials say might have been spying was sunk off southwestern Japan after trading shots with coast guard vessels. The boat, which was marked with Chinese characters, was cruising in Japan's exclusive economic zone near Ama mi Oshima island when it was detected by a Japanese naval surveillance aircraft. Patrol vessels and aircraft gave chase after it disregarded orders to stop and fled west towards China. After firing several warning shots, a coast guard vessel hit the stern of the boat with a burst of machine-gun fire, starting a blaze that was later extinguished, Japan Coast Guard spokesman Yoji Osaka said. The boat briefly halted after being hit, then resumed its flight. It stopped a second time and was surrounded by four Japanese vessels, but rough seas prevented boarding, said Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe. The trapped boat later opened fire on the Japanese vessels, slightly wounding two coast guard personnel. Two of the patrol ships replied by firing their 20-millimetre machine guns at the boat's engine room, sinking it and leaving its 15 crew members adrift. Coast guard sailors planned to arrest the crew members after rescuing them from the water. The boat foundered 390 kilometres (242 miles) northwest of Amami Oshima, part of a chain of tiny islands off Japan's southernmost main island. Defence officials who examined photographs of the boat said that it appeared similar to two suspected North Korean spy ships that were chased out of Japanese waters by patrol craft in March 1999. Independent military analyst Kensuke Ebata told NHK television that the unidentified boat appeared to be equipped with a satellite dish and had other features suggestive of surveillance activities. Story filed: 15:21 Saturday 22nd December 200 _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
