TOKYO: A civil group on Monday accused Japan of detaining a number of independent journalists and activists who tried to enter the country ahead of the Group of Eight summit next week.

The G8 Media Network, organised by Japanese independent media groups, said at least 18 freelance journalists and anti-globalisation activists were interrogated and detained at airports, while two South Koreans were refused entry. Chu Hoi Dick, from Hong Kong, said he and two of his colleagues were detained for 17 hours after arriving at Narita airport near Tokyo.

Chu told reporters he was covering a one-day Counter-G8 International Forum on Thursday organised by civil groups, and not the offical G8 meeting. “All of us three people came from Hong Kong to Japan to cover the G8 (Counter) forum and also other issues that interest us in Japan,” he said.

“We had undergone serious interrogation,” he said. “We were told to explain details of what our plans were in Japan.” An American activist who was invited as a panellist to the forum said she was held at the airport for 11 hours. “They were really curious about what I would talk about” at the forum, she said.—AFP