File photo of Liaodanyu 23979, one of three ships allegedly seized by an unidentified North Korean ship on May 8. Source: We54.com.
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NK frees all Chinese crew
Analysts urged the Chinese government to continue working with Pyongyang to investigate the recent abduction of Chinese fishermen, after North Korea said Sunday that it had released all the 29 Chinese crewmen and their three boats.
NK urged to keep crew safe
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thursday urged North Korea to ensure the safety and lawful rights of 29 Chinese fishermen whose boats were allegedly hijacked by a North Korean vessel on May 8.
"China is maintaining close communication with the North Korean side through related channels and hopes the matter will be properly resolved as early as possible," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters when asked about the reported abduction of three Chinese fishing vessels.
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29 Chinese fishermen allegedly held by NK
Owners of three Chinese fishing boats, which were allegedly seized by an unidentified North Korean ship last week, told the Global Times on May 16 that they cannot meet the captors' ransom demand and hope local authorities can help resolve the issue.
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Incident Details
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Sun Caihui, one of the ship owners. Source: Sina
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●Time: May 8, 2012
●Place: 38.05 degrees north latitude and 123.57 degrees east longitude in Chinese waters
●Incident: three Chinese fishing boats, with 29 fishermen, were allegedly seized by an unidentified North Korean ship
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The list of kidnapped fishermen was posted on the Internet. Source: ifeng.com |
●Kidnappers' demands:
The captors are demanding 300,000 yuan in ransom ($47,457.90) for each boat;
They will dispose of the ships and the fishermen if no ransom was paid by May 17.
●Hostage situation:
The captain of one ship said that the fishermen were crammed into a tiny cabin with food supplies cut off.
●Voices of ship owners:
They do not have that much money;
They hope local authorities can help resolve the issue.
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The record of navigation path of Laodanyu 23527 shows that the boat has not crossed the 124 degrees east longitude(the purple line), which means the boat remains fishing in China's water.Source: Sina
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●Official reactions:
Dalian marine police:
The provincial authority had stepped in after being informed;
The captors had earlier agreed to release the crewmen but failed to show up at an appointed location on Saturday, and that she was not clear if the captors are with North Korean authorities or just a group of kidnappers.
China's foreign ministry:
The relevant departments are verifying the incident;
The incident is supposed to be a fishery case;
Chinese governmeny will try to properly resolve the issue as early as possible and guarantee the Chinese nationals' safety and rights.
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Comment:
China-NK bond must be seen in daily life
North Korea's foreign ministry notified the Chinese embassy in Pyongyang Sunday that all recently detained Chinese fishermen and their vessels had been freed. China's diplomatic authorities made a quick response in the last two days, which is a worthy accomplishment.
Cherish NK ties but ensure sailors' safety
Pyongyang has the responsibility to quickly investigate the incident and ensure the safety of the Chinese sailors. It should clearly understand the public anger of Chinese society. If it wants to gain more support from China, it should leave the Chinese public a good impression.
Weibo Voices:
@Tianwang: As the dispute in the South China Sea remains unsolved, such incidents will happen in the Yellow Sea. I feel that China's territorial waters are now not under the control of the Chinese authorities. Forbearance cannot bring us peace forever. Sometimes, we must show our power.
@Shutter-killer: I don't know why we find out about the news 8 days after this incident has happened. Now, the government should concentrate on rescuing the fishermen held captive by North Korea. Protecting their lives is the most important thing.
@evanto: China's fisheries administration ships are not enough to protect the fishermen. The government should enhance their forces in this area.
@坏人斌哥哥: North Korean forces entered our territorial waters and kidnapped Chinese fishermen! This is a kind of incursion. The Chinese government should take a tough stance over this incident, and place a sanction on the country afterwards.