Islands Grab by Russia an Attack on Japan, a Threat to the World
This January 2019 photo shows the Northern Territories stretching off into the distance from the coast of Cape Nosappu (bottom left) on the Nemuro Peninsula in Hokkaido.
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Russia has issued a decree to name two islands in Japan's Northern Territories after two famous Russian Orthodox priests. These Japanese islands were illegally occupied by its predecessor, the Soviet Union, at the end of World War II.
The Russian government has also announced that it will suspend the right of innocent passage for ships from various countries, including Japan, in the waters surrounding the Northern Territories. They will furthermore conduct military exercises around Shikotan, one of the Russian-occupied Japanese islands.
Both of these actions are designed to assert Moscow's jurisdiction and strengthen its illegal occupation of the Northern Territories. They are unacceptable. Russia should immediately revoke the arbitrarily assigned island names and leave the Northern Territories.
According to a Russian government decree, the two islands in the Habomai island group were renamed Nikolai Kazatkin and Innocent Veniaminov.
Kazatkin was a priest who proselytized in Japan from the end of the Edo period. He was also the founder of the landmark Nikolai Cathedral (Holy Resurrection Cathedral) in the Kanda Surugadai district of Tokyo. Veniaminov only visited the island of Sakhalin (Karafuto) during the 19th century.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, the two islands have a combined area of about 2.2 hectares. Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently confirming details regarding Russia's actions on the islands in question.
The Japanese government must do more than deliver strong protests to the Russian government. It must communicate to the international community that the Northern Territories are inherently Japanese territory.
The Right of Innocent Passage
On October 13, Moscow announced that it would suspend the right of innocent passage in designated areas. That includes waters around Shikotan Island, the Habomai islands, Kunashiri Island, and Etorofu Island. It also includes other waters east of Hokkaido.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea recognizes the right of innocent passage through the territorial waters of other countries, provided that it does not infringe on the security of the coastal state.
A coastal state can suspend the right of innocent passage, but only if it deems it essential for its national security. However, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Russia has not provided any specific justification for its action.
Russia also announced that it would conduct live-fire exercises in the area north of Shikotan Island from October 10 to November 1. The Japanese government criticized the move, protesting that it "goes against our country's stance regarding the Northern Territories."
Russia's series of actions around the Northern Territories is likely not unrelated to its invasion of Ukraine. Since Finland and Sweden joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Baltic Sea is now surrounded by NATO countries. The aim appears to be to demonstrate Russia's presence in the waters surrounding Japan, which is deepening its ties with NATO.
Japan and Russia have no agreement on the end of the war. However, regarding the Northern Territories, Russia continues to insist that "Japan is the only country on earth that has not fully acknowledged the postwar settlement."
If it wants to break this deadlock, the Japanese government needs to do more work to win over international public opinion.
RELATED:
- Japan's Three Territorial Problems Viewed Under the Glare of International Law
- Strengthen Defenses Off Hokkaido Against Russia's Intimidation
- Northern Territories, New Push for Their Return to Japan
Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun
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