3RD LD: China sentences 14, demands arrests of Japanese for orgy

Asian Political News, Dec 22, 2003

BEIJING, Dec. 17 Kyodo

(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)

A court sentenced two Chinese to life in prison, gave lighter terms to 12 others and issued arrest orders for three Japanese men for their role in an orgy that involved hundreds of Japanese tourists and Chinese women at a southern China hotel, official media reported Wednesday.

The Zhuhai Intermediate People's Court also asked Interpol to issue ''red notices'' to three Japanese men accused of arranging prostitutes for the 285 Japanese at the Zhuhai International Conference Center Hotel on Sept. 17, Xinhua News Agency reported.

They were identified as Isao Hirobe, Shunji Takahashi and Koji Fukunaga. An official of the Osaka-based construction company allegedly involved in the incident confirmed that the three named in the Xinhua report are company employees.

''We have not been notified of the arrest orders, and we have nothing to comment on the issue,'' the official said.

Xinhua said China's Foreign Ministry ''has made representations with the Japanese side, requesting assistance to the Chinese police for the capture of the three suspects.''

In Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hatsuhisa Takashima confirmed the Chinese request and said the ministry has conveyed the request to Japanese police. The two countries have no bilateral extradition agreement.

The orgy reportedly involved about 200 Japanese nationals -- the latest figure -- and 185-500 Chinese prostitutes.

The incident outraged many Chinese because it came a day ahead of the anniversary of Japan's 1931 invasion of China, and created a diplomatic flap.

The 14 Chinese defendants included managers of the five-star hotel, pimps and prostitutes. The lightest sentence was two years.

According to court records, Xinhua reported, Hirobe, an employee of the Osaka-based construction company, went to Zhuhai in August and ''clearly requested sexual services'' in a conversation with hotel manager Liu Xuejing, who got a 15-year sentence.

Hotel employee Ye Xiang, who got a life sentence, contacted prostitutes Ming Zhu and Zhang Junying, who organized other prostitutes from entertainment venues. Xinhua said Ming, who was also a hotel employee, got life in prison, while Zhang 12 years.

The Japanese checked in on Sept. 16. On the night of Sept. 17 and the early hours of Sept. 18, they and the prostitutes moved from a dinner at the three-star Yuehai Hotel to the five-star star Zhuhai International Conference Center Hotel, where the orgy occupied elevators and other public venues. Some had sex in their rooms with the prostitutes, Xinhua said.

The Japanese group left the hotel at 8 a.m. on Sept. 18, Xinhua reported.

The privately-owned hotel, which reopened for normal business on Dec. 6, would not comment on the court verdict. Xinhua did not name the hotel or any punishment for it.

A source from the Japanese Embassy in Beijing said he had heard nothing from the Chinese government on Wednesday about the three Japanese suspects.

''We are trying to get more information,'' the source said.

''This verdict is not overly strict,'' said

Gao Yan, a 24-year-old Guangdong Province resident who was staying in a neighboring hotel on the night of the orgy, called the verdict ''not overly strict.''

''Ten plus years sounds fair,'' he said.

Tong Zeng, a Beijing businessman who writes books on international issues, said Chinese citizens should feel proud that their court system exercised its full legal power, and Japanese travelers should realize Chinese courts have this power.

''The whole case was solved according to law,'' Tong said. ''Whatever country you're in, you use the rule of law.''