Ito said the Japanese patrol boat Koshiki did not ram the fishing boat on purpose, as the boat’s captain has claimed.
Although the Japanese government has agreed to pay compensation, the boat’s captain, Ho Hung-yi (何鴻義), has been charged with “negligence due to incurring danger during official business.”
The incident, and what has been seen as Tokyo’s refusal to give a formal apology, has sparked outrage in Taiwan.
This has included an online petition that calls for a boycott of all Japanese-made goods.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokesman Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) criticized the Ma administration yesterday over its handling of the dispute, saying the government lacked maturity and consistency.
Cheng quoted DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) as saying that the administration was slow to respond to the situation and has been inconsistent in handling the affair, which created the impression that it was immature in dealing with foreign affairs and did not know how to run the country.
Cheng, however, praised Koh’s performance, saying the envoy has done a good job negotiating with Tokyo.
The DPP was sorry to see the administration use this incident to humiliate him, Cheng said. He said the DPP supported Koh’s decision to resign.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY RICH CHANG, KO SHU-LING AND CNA
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