A Japanese diplomat has seized on the slaughter and consumption of kangaroos to justify Tokyo’s whaling program.
The comments by Noriyuki Shikata came as Attorney-GeneralMark Dreyfus at the International Court of Justice accused Japan of using “false” and “offensive” statements to justify its annual “scientific” whale hunt in Antarctic waters.
Canberra has ramped up its rhetoric against Tokyo during this election year in a move seen as shoring up its green credentials.
As the hearing in The Hague of the Australian case against Japan moved into its final stages, Mr Shikata, political minister at Japan’s embassy in London, used Twitter to flag the kangaroo harvest in defence of Japan’s position. “We do not eat crocodile or kangaroo, but we respect such behaviour by others. Cultural diversity should be respected,” he tweeted.
Mr Shikata, who has been seconded to handle media relations for the case, also posted a link…
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