Family members, friends, and teachers remember Ehime Maru victims

About 150 people, including school teachers, on February 10 held a meeting in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, to remember the victims of the tragedy of the Ehime Maru, a training trawler which was hit and sunk by a U.S. nuclear submarine off Hawaii.

The Ehime Maru was on a training voyage when the incident occurred killing nine people - four seniors and two teachers of the Uwajima Fisheries High School in Ehime Prefecture along with three crew members.

Participants in the rally, which was organized by the teachers unions in the prefecture, shouted, "No more Ehime Maru incidents," and "Thoroughly investigate the Ehime Maru incident!"

On February 9, the Japan High School Teachers Union held a meeting in Matsuyama City with about 20 teachers attending from fisheries high schools in 14 prefectures.

A teacher said the Japanese government must be held responsible for its submission to the United States in dealing with the incident. He said, "The Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is the source of the weak-kneed attitude of the Japanese government. Safety navigation of fishing training boats must be established."

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In Honolulu, a ceremony to unveil the monument of the Ehime Maru incident was held on February 9 (local time).

Akahata on February 11 reported that negotiations between the U.S. Navy and families of the victims since last June are far from smooth over a number of issues: (1) the thorough investigation into the cause of the incident, (2) measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, (3) appropriate compensation to the victims and their families, and (4) an apology for causing the incident by the captain of the U.S. submarine." (end)