A group of activists filed a lawsuit against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) at the Yilan District Court yesterday, as well as a lawsuit against a judge at the court for malfeasance and treason.
Led by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chang Chun-hung (張俊宏) and former DPP chairman Hsu Hsin-liang (許信良), dozens of activists accused Abe of “infringement of Taiwan’s fishing rights” following Japan’s nationalization of three of the islands, known as the Senkakus in Japan.
The group also sued Lin Chun-ting (林俊廷), the presiding judge who had dismissed the group’s previous lawsuit against Abe in August, two months after the case was filed, saying that the “dinosaur judge” had committed malfeasance and “sold out Taiwan’s interests” by dismissing the case without holding a court session.
Photo: CNA
Chang also criticized President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for making concessions in bilateral fishery negotiations which “sacrificed Taiwan’s territory in exchange of fishing rights in the disputed region.”
The Taiwan-Japan fisheries pact, which took effect in May, drew up an intervention-free fishing zone for Taiwanese fishermen in waters near the disputed islands, but recognized Japan’s 12 nautical mile (22.2km) territorial boundary.
Huang Hui-wen (黃慧雯) of the Yilan District Court, who met with the activists, said Lin’s dismissal of the case was legal and reasonable, adding that the previous case would be handled by the Taiwan High Court after the activists filed an appeal on Aug. 30.
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