Two Yilan County councilors yesterday urged members of the public to write protest letters to a Japanese academic to express their anger over his claim that the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) belong to Japan.
Tsai Wen-yi (蔡文益) and Lin Yueh-hsien (林岳賢) announced their “one person, one letter” campaign at a news conference at Yilan County Council Hall, calling for people to take action to defend Taiwan’s sovereignty over the uninhabited islands, which are about 220km northeast of Taipei.
Displaying a copy of a land ownership certificate updated by the Yilan Land Office in September 2004, Tsai said the document proves that the Diaoyutais are registered as part of Yilan County’s Toucheng Township (頭城).
Nagasaki Junshin Catholic University associate professor Nozomu Ishiwi several days ago told Japanese media that the islands belong to Japan.
“This untrue statement has caused Toucheng residents to feel resentment,” Tsai said.
He said people should write letters to Ishiwi detailing their determination to defend the nation’s sovereignty.
The county council has passed a proposal that would see the county government inviting President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his successor sail to the Dioayutais with Yilan County Commissioner Lin Tsung-hsien (林聰賢).
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