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No.331 SIM音読用英文

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Australia Threatens Japan with Court Action over Whale Hunt
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Australia has set a November deadline for Japan

to stop whaling in Antarctic waters,

or face international court action.


Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was still hopeful

that talks with the Japanese would lead to a negotiated settlement

whereby Tokyo would abandon its annual hunt in the Southern Ocean.


Mr. Rudd will be able to deliver his ultimatum in person

to Japan's foreign minister, Katsuya Okada,

who arrives in Sydney Saturday

for pre-arranged talks on trade and military ties.


The Australian leader says his government is committed

to international legal action

if discussions fail to convince Japan

to stop killing whales in the Antarctic.


"We have put ourselves onto a timeline.


We are working it through with the Japanese,

but if they don't come at this agreement

to reduce to zero,

we will initiate that action."


Australia has threatened

to seek international legal action before.


This latest reference by Mr. Rudd,

who's likely to face a general election later this year,

has been dismissed as early electioneering

by members of the Japanese government.


However, Australia insists

it has amassed compelling photographic and video evidence

to launch legal action against Japan

at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.


Officials in Tokyo have expressed confidence

they win any legal confrontation,

which threatens to destabilize relations

between the Asia-Pacific partners.


The two nations approach the issue of whaling

from vastly different cultural perspectives.


Australia views whales

as irreplaceable giants of the sea

whose vitality reflects the health of the oceans.


Many Japanese consider the large mammals

as simply a source of foods,

although consumption of whale meat in Japan has declined.


Japan kills about 1,000 humpback and minke whales each year

in the Southern Ocean

as part of what it calls genuine scientific research.


Australia, and other critics, say the annual hunt is merely a front

for commercial whaling,

which is banned under international law.


This year's hunt in the Southern Ocean has been punctuated

by violent clashes

between the Japanese fleet and radical conservationists.


Phil Mercer for VOA News, Sydney, Australia
by danueno | 2010-03-03 14:36 | SIM音読用英文


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