Reuters: Japan protests after Russians shoot at fishing boat

[Eugene]

Japan protests after Russians shoot at fishing boat
Wed Aug 16, 2006 3:50am ET

By Teruaki Ueno

TOKYO (Reuters) - A Japanese fisherman died after a Russian patrol boat fired
on a fishing boat on Wednesday, Japanese officials said, prompting Tokyo
to protest what appeared to be the first fatality for 50 years in a territorial
dispute.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said it had demanded the immediate release of the crabbing
craft and its three other crew members, who were seized east of Japan's northern
main island of Hokkaido.

About a dozen right-wing protesters dressed in pseudo-miitary uniforms turned up
in trucks with loudspeakers at Tokyo's Russian embassy, calling the shooting a murder
and demanding the return of four disputed islands to Japan.

There was no confirmation that the shooting had led to the death of the fisherman,
but a spokesman said Foreign Minister Taro Aso would call Russia's acting ambassador
to the ministry later on Wednesday to reiterate Tokyo's protest.

-snip-

Full article: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-08-16T075018Z_01_T214836_RTRUKOC_0_US-JAPAN-RUSSIA-SHOOTING.xml

Also: Japan fishing boat escorted to Yuzhno-Kurilsk; one fisherman was killed - ITAR-TASS

[zbdent]

1. See, the Russian patrol boat did it wrong ...

What the Russians needed to do was get a bunch of campaign contributors at the helm of a nuclear sub (without security clearance) and RAMMED the fishing boat ...