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Protests Around the World to Free Four Activists
Greenpeace Protests Around the World to Free Four Activists
– New Zealanders take ‘cyberaction’
Auckland, 16
May, 2000
Greenpeace protests today spread around the
globe, from Asia to Europe, and from the Middle East to the
Americas, demanding the immediate release of the four
activists detained in Japan for the seventh day without any
formal charges being brought against them. Amnesty
International joined Greenpeace in its protest against the
Japanese detention procedures.
An International Day
of Action was declared by Greenpeace, and supporters in
over 15 countries have gathered at Japanese embassies to
call upon the Japanese government to allow freedom of
expression as it is required under international law. In New
Zealand over 4500 Greenpeace supporters were sent a
‘cyberaction’ opportunity today, to send a letter to the
Japanese Ambassador in New Zealand and the Prime Minister
of Japan, calling for the activists to be freed.
At
the Greenpeace protest in the Netherlands, Executive
Director of Greenpeace International, Thilo Bode said:
”This is a blatant attempt to silence legitimate peaceful
protest against toxic emissions damaging the environment. I
call on the Japanese authorities to release our four
activists who were simply exercising their international
right to freedom of speech in alerting the world to the
dangers of incineration and dioxin emissions.”
On
Friday, the judge ordered the four Greenpeace activists to
be moved to the substitute prison system “Daiyo Kangoku”.
In its most recent report on Japan, the United Nations
Human Rights Committee condemned this system as restricting
the fundamental rights of prisoners.
"The
heavy-handed treatment of these peaceful protesters is an
obvious attempt to silence and intimidate environmental
activism. The activists are being held in continuous
detention without charge or trial, a practice which is
unacceptable by international human rights standards,"
Amnesty International said.
The four activists, Al
Baker (United Kingdom), Marleen van Poeck (Belgium),
Clement Lam (Hong Kong/Canada) and Paul Schot (the
Netherlands) were arrested in Tokyo last Tuesday after a non
violent action highlighting the problems of dioxin emissions
into the environment.
The action aimed to
highlight both local and global environmental and health
implications of burning waste – particularly in areas where
the incinerators are located. Japan has the highest levels
of dioxin emissions in the world today, as a consequence of
having more waste incinerators than any other country in
the world. Dioxins are toxic substances created during the
incineration process and are linked to liver cancer and
other deadly diseases.
ENDS
For more information:
Sanae Shida, Executive Director, Greenpeace Japan, Tel: +8190 2252 95 25; Ayako Sekine, Greenpeace Japan Toxics Campaigner, Tel: +81-90-2254-0114;
Susan Yoshimura, Greenpeace Japan Media, Tel 81-90-8116-9816;
Juantxo Lopez de Uralde, Greenpeace International Toxic Campaign Coordinator, Tel: +34 609468954;
Mamie Mutchler, Greenpeace International Legal Advisor, Tel: +31- 20-523 6289;
Teresa Merilainen, Press Officer Greenpeace
International, Tel: +31- 625 031001.
Amnesty
International, Press Office in London, Tel: +44 20 7413
5566
Footage and pictures of international protests
are available from Greenpeace.
Greenpeace International picture desk website
http://www.greenpeace.org/library/picturedesk.html
To send a message of protest, please visit { HYPERLINK http://www.greenpeace.org }www.greenpeace.org
=========================================
Tricia
Allen Campaign and Communications Director Greenpeace New
Zealand tricia.allen@nz.greenpeace.org phone ++ 64 9 630
6317 / +64 25 790817 fax ++ 64 9 630 7121
http://www.greenpeace.org
=========================================
Greenpeace
Greenpeace exists because this fragile earth deserves a voice.
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace.
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