Home>News Center>World
             
     

    Japan pulls diplomats from Philippines
    (Agencies)
    Updated: 2005-05-31 09:23

    Japanese diplomats left the southern Philippines on Monday after four days of unsuccessfully trying to verify reports that two former soldiers from the Imperial Japanese Army had survived in the mountains since World War II.

    Japanese officials cited security concerns in the region, which is notorious for Muslim guerrilla attacks and criminal gangs. But officials said efforts to arrange a meeting with the mystery men would continue from Japan's embassy.

    Japanese Consul in Manila Akio Egawa gestures during his news conference Monday May 30, 2005 at a hotel in General Santos city in southern Philippines where he announces the Japanese embassy is pulling out of the city but would still pursue its effort to verify reports that two Japanese Imperial Army soldiers have been found in the mountains of the southern Philippines.
    Japanese Consul in Manila Akio Egawa gestures during his news conference Monday May 30, 2005 at a hotel in General Santos city in southern Philippines where he announces the Japanese embassy is pulling out of the city but would still pursue its effort to verify reports that two Japanese Imperial Army soldiers have been found in the mountains of the southern Philippines.[AP]
    "The mediator said that he will inform the embassy about the date and timing of the interview at a later date," Akio Egawa, the embassy's deputy chief, told reporters in General Santos city. He said the Japanese trader who first reported the case wanted the meeting held "in a more quiet situation."

    Egawa said one reason the Japanese diplomats were leaving was security worries. Citing the presence of about 100 Japanese journalists in the southern city, he said, "If some journalists go into the mountains, that will be dangerous."

    Egawa evaded questions about whether officials believed the mediator — a longtime resident of the Philippines — was trustworthy. Kyodo news agency, citing an unidentified official, said Japan had concluded the trader wasn't reliable.

    In Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said attempts to arrange a face-to-face meeting with the purported old soldiers would continue despite suspicions the tale is a hoax.

    Japanese journalists, who last week rushed to the area 600 miles south of Manila, have been raising doubts about the story, including speculation that the Japanese trader — who has not surfaced publicly — was part of an elaborate scam.

    Japanese media also have reported that unidentified armed groups have demanded or received ransom for the men amounting to about $250,000. Egawa said the Japanese government was unaware of any ransom payments or demands.

    The story about the two men surfaced last week, saying they reportedly became separated from their unit six decades ago and were afraid to return to Japan for fear of being court-martialed.

    The Philippines, then a U.S. colony, was a major battleground in the Pacific. A few Japanese holdouts on its islands surrendered as late as 1948, three years after the war's end.

    Then in March 1974, intelligence officer 2nd Lt. Hiroo Onoda came out of hiding on northern Lubang island. He had refused to give up until the Japanese government flew in his former commander to formally inform him the war was over.



     
      Today's Top News     Top World News
     

    China moves to safeguard millions of textile jobs

     

       
     

    New Zealand, China look for early FTA pact

     

       
     

    Oil giant pumps in 2008 Olympic Games aid

     

       
     

    China may change national judicial exam form

     

       
     

    Opening up of oil market pumps expectations

     

       
     

    Bank regulator warns of soaring estate loans

     

       
      France braces for new prime minister, policy shift
       
      Al-Zarqawi message now says wounds minor
       
      At least five killed in Karachi mosque attack
       
      "No" vote throws France, EU into turmoil
       
      Suicide bombers attack Iraqi ex-policemen, kill 27
       
      NATO sends F-16s to disperse Afghan protesters
       
     
      Go to Another Section  
     
     
      Story Tools  
       
      News Talk  
      Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
    Advertisement
             
    人妻中文字系列无码专区| 国模无码一区二区三区| 亚洲av无码成人精品区在线播放 | 蜜桃成人无码区免费视频网站| 制服丝袜人妻中文字幕在线| 日韩精品专区AV无码| 亚洲一日韩欧美中文字幕欧美日韩在线精品一区二 | 亚洲AV无码无限在线观看不卡| 无码人妻一区二区三区免费视频| 亚洲欧洲日产国码无码久久99 | 中文字幕视频在线免费观看| 中文字幕色婷婷在线视频| 国产成人AV一区二区三区无码| 亚洲精品无码MV在线观看| 精品久久久久久久久久中文字幕| 亚洲一级特黄无码片| yy111111少妇无码影院| 久久水蜜桃亚洲av无码精品麻豆| 亚洲中文字幕无码一区| 蜜桃臀AV高潮无码| 免费无码国产在线观国内自拍中文字幕 | 最近中文字幕视频在线资源| 天堂а在线中文在线新版| 日韩少妇无码一区二区三区| 911国产免费无码专区| 日韩免费人妻AV无码专区蜜桃| 亚洲AV无码久久精品色欲| 国产台湾无码AV片在线观看| 中文无码不卡的岛国片| 熟妇女人妻丰满少妇中文字幕| 亚洲成a人片在线观看中文动漫| 乱人伦中文视频在线| 亚洲无码黄色网址| 无码AV中文一区二区三区| 18禁网站免费无遮挡无码中文| 中文字幕无码乱人伦| 精品一区二区三区中文字幕| 日本中文字幕电影| 最近2019年中文字幕一页| 伊人久久无码精品中文字幕| 国产成人无码区免费内射一片色欲|