Japan-China friendship convention forced to switch venues (Agencies) Updated: 2005-05-19 14:06
The Japan-China Friendship Association said Friday it will change the venue
for this year's national convention from Awara, Fukui Prefecture, to Tokyo
because rightwing groups are threatening to disrupt the meeting.
Mitsuharu Yazaki, managing director of the association, announced the move at
a news conference in Fukui City.
The meeting was to have been held in Awara, Fukui Prefecture, in late May,
but will instead be held in Tokyo in November.
According to the association, a man claiming to be a member of a rightwing
group visited an inn that would have hosted the convention in mid-April and said
his group "would take whatever are necessary measures" unless this year's
convention was canceled.
The inn has received similar threats, by phone, from other rightwing groups
reportedly angered by anti-Japanese protests in China, mainly in April.
"With campaign cars of rightwing groups expected to visit Awara, we cannot
ensure the participants' safety at the convention, and their visit would cause
the inn and local residents trouble," Yazaki said.
The association said its local branches have been getting bomb threats.
Among other activities, the association, established in 1950, offers cultural
events such as Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art, calligraphy and
cooking to people interested in things Chinese.
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