
Aljazeera.net: Ainu seek rights in Japan-Russia row
..."The Kurils, Hokkaido and Sakhalin are all traditional Ainu lands and we want both governments to remember that when they sit down to talk about their future," said Tadashi Shirakawa, a member of Pirika Zenkoku Jikkoninkai, or All-Japan Standing Committee, which is campaigning for Ainu rights. "We hope future discussions will also include the Ainu, because this is our land and our history. Until that happens, the two countries do not have the right to hold talks over our territory without our participation"...more...