Japan is preparing to deport a group of 14 activists, journalists and other people from Hong Kong, including seven who landed on one of the Senkaku Islands the previous day, to ratchet down tensions between Tokyo and Beijing, government sources said Thursday.
Of the 14, five were arrested by Okinawa police for landing on the islet of Uotsuri. The other nine, including two who returned to the vessel after setting foot on the islet, were arrested by the Japan Coast Guard.
Both the police and the coast guard decided Thursday not to pursue indictments against the 14. Instead, they will be handed over to immigration authorities for deportation, sources said.