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“Opportunity for strong Rudd Obama anti-whaling alliance”
Vigil outside Japanese Embassy seeks justice for Whales and the “Tokyo Two”
March 19, 2009
“The ‘Whale Meat Scandal’ exposed by Greenpeace last year is critical evidence of the corruption at the heart of Japan’s wasteful lethal whaling program. The Australian government should lead the international effort against Southern Ocean whaling by calling for an independent investigation by IWC into the whale meat embezzlement” said Reece Turner, Greenpeace Australia Whales Campaigner.
Kevin Rudd’s government has not yet acted on a motion passed by the federal senate in June last year asking that Japan be pressed to take action on the whale meat embezzlement.(3) Recently, the Australian government refused to release tapes of Southern Ocean whaling from 2007-2008; it has been alleged that this move by the government was to avoid annoying Japan.
Within two months of being in office, the Obama administration has already taken a hard stand on the lethal whaling program. At the IWC Intersessional meeting which concluded in Rome last Friday, the U.S. delegation stated that it was unnecessary to kill whales for research. This move is expected to isolate Japan further from the rest of the international community.
“Obama’s clear anti whaling stand provides a great opportunity for Kevin Rudd to develop a US-Australia anti whaling alliance at their first meeting next week”, concluded Mr. Turner.
In a similar effort around the globe today, Greenpeace is staging protests at Japanese embassies to highlight global opposition to whaling in the Southern Ocean and is calling for justice for the activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, known as the ‘Tokyo Two’. Junichi and Toru are currently under strict bail conditions and are preparing for their trial in June 2009.
Kevin Rudd’s government has not yet acted on a motion passed by the federal senate in June last year asking that Japan be pressed to take action on the whale meat embezzlement.(3) Recently, the Australian government refused to release tapes of Southern Ocean whaling from 2007-2008; it has been alleged that this move by the government was to avoid annoying Japan.
Within two months of being in office, the Obama administration has already taken a hard stand on the lethal whaling program. At the IWC Intersessional meeting which concluded in Rome last Friday, the U.S. delegation stated that it was unnecessary to kill whales for research. This move is expected to isolate Japan further from the rest of the international community.
“Obama’s clear anti whaling stand provides a great opportunity for Kevin Rudd to develop a US-Australia anti whaling alliance at their first meeting next week”, concluded Mr. Turner.
In a similar effort around the globe today, Greenpeace is staging protests at Japanese embassies to highlight global opposition to whaling in the Southern Ocean and is calling for justice for the activists Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, known as the ‘Tokyo Two’. Junichi and Toru are currently under strict bail conditions and are preparing for their trial in June 2009.
Notes to Editor
1. According to Japanese tradition, white lanterns symbolise the dead; the white lanterns at the vigil symbolised the lack of justice for whales and the two unfairly charged Greenpeace activists in Japan
2. The Whale Meat Scandal and the Tokyo Two: www.greenpeace.org/tokyo-two
3. Press Release can be found at:
http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/news-and-events/media/releases/whales/senate-demands-action-for-gaol
Images can be found at: http://greenpeacemedia.org/
user: photos pass: green
For further information or comment
Ruchira Talukdar, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Communications Officer; 04 07 414 572 Reece Turner, Greenpeace Australia Pacific Whales Campaigner; 0408 754 910
