María Luz incident
The María Luz incident (マリア・ルス号事件, Maria-Rusu-Gō Jiken) was a
History
On July 9, 1872, the María Luz, a Peruvian cargo ship en route from
However, another Chinese indentured labourer soon escaped, and word reached acting British consul
The Japanese government was initially hesitant to take action, as Japan had no formal
Soejima took steps to prevent the María Luz from leaving port, and after reviewing the ship's records and interviewing the officers, found that its cargo of illiterate indentured laborers had been deceived in Macao into signing contracts, the contents of which they could not read or understand, and were being confined against their will under inhumane conditions. Many had been kidnapped, and most had no idea of the location of their final destination. At a preliminary hearing presided over by Ōe Taku, a court order allowing the Chinese to go ashore at Yokohama was issued, and the court declared that the shipping company owning the María Luz was guilty of wrongdoing. All of the foreign countries represented in Japan at the time were informed of the decision and their opinions were solicited.
However, every country with the exception of the United Kingdom responded negatively, charging that Japan had overstepped the bounds of various treaties to rule against a foreign company and foreign captain. In addition, the incident had arisen within the borders of Yokohama, which was at the center of the extraterritorial zone granted by treaty. Ōe turned to Soejima, who upheld the court's decision despite foreign opposition and charges of lack of jurisdiction, and on August 30, Ōe ruled that the Chinese labourers were freed of their contracts.[3]
Herrera challenged the decision in an appeal with English
The Qing dynasty Chinese government issued an official letter thanking the Japanese government for its strong stance and assistance rendered to Chinese subjects; however, most European nations remained displeased with the court's rulings, and supported official diplomatic protests from the Peruvian government. In June 1873, the Japanese government requested that Tsar Alexander II of Russia arbitrate the issue as a neutral party, and in 1875, he confirmed Japan's position.[5]
Significance
The María Luz incident was a diplomatic victory for Japan in asserting itself against the unequal treaties. The outcome of the incident accelerated the decline of the "coolie trade" in Peru and elsewhere. In Japan, the incident also led to new legislation in late 1872, emancipating
See also
- Terashima Munenori, key negotiator for Japan during the incident
- Chinese Peruvian
- Japan–Peru relations
Reference and further reading
- Downer, Leslie (2002). Women of the Pleasure Quarters: The Secret History of the Geisha. Broadway. ISBN 0-7679-0490-7.
- Erdstrom, Burt (2002). Turning Points in Japanese History. RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 1-903350-05-0.
- Keene, Donald (2005). Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12341-8.
Notes
- ^ Edstrom. Turning Points in Japanese history. pages 75-78
- ^ Edstrom. Turning Points in Japanese history. pages 75-78
- ^ Keene, Emperor of Japan: Meiji And His World. pages 216-218
- ^ Edstrom. Turning Points in Japanese history. pages 75-78
- ^ Keene, Emperor Of Japan: Meiji And His World. pages 216-218
- ^ Downer, Women of the Pleasure Quarters. page 97
External links
- "Freedom without slavery? The Case of the Maria Luz and the Question of Emancipation in Nineteenth Century Japan", Daniel Botsman [1][permanent dead link]