Greenpeace activists board the carrier ship Clemenceau 50 nautical miles off the coast of Egypt, hanging a banner that reads “Asbestos carrier stay out of India.” Greenpeace is protesting against transit of the Clemenceau, which has been sent to India for decommissioning despite widespread outrage at the high levels of asbestos and other hazardous materials it contains.
The halls of Palais de l'Elysee must have a brooding sense of
déjà vu about them today. Early this morning, two Greenpeace
activists boarded the carrier 50 nautical miles off the coast of
Egypt in international waters and unfurled banners declaring, once
again, "ASBESTOS CARRIER: STAY OUT OF INDIA".
One of these activists, Sebastian, is up on that mast the second
time in a month. On December 12th, the Dane had spent 23 freezing
hours on his perch overlooking Toulon harbour in France.
And a French commando squad is, yet again, trying to get
Greenpeace down from the mast, even as a military chopper circles
overhead.
Update 17 Jan: The
Indian Supreme Court has ruled that the Clemenceau be kept at a
distance of 220 nautical miles from India's Exclusive Economic Zone
until 13th February, by which time all information pertaining to
the Clemenceau must be submitted before the court.
Update 16 Jan: Our
activists left the ship on Friday with Egypt still blocking passage
through the canal. But over the weekend France negotiated passage
through the canal. Now the Indian Supreme Court will take the next
decision on the ship.
Update
12 Jan: While Greenpeace continues to occupy the ship,
the government of Egypt has requested all certificates required
within the framework of the Basel convention to approve the
Clemenceau passing through Egyptian waters and the Suez canal.
The same request is made to the Indian government. If Egypt does
not receive all required documents, they will have to consider the sailing convoy illegal, subject to
punishment under Egyptian law, and it will be ordered back
to a French port.
The Clemenceau has been the subject of intense international
debate, as the French Government stubbornly refuses to reconsider
its decision to send the military aircraft carrier to India without
prior decontamination.
We asked them politely, through the French courts. They
manipulated evidence, and won the case.
We pointed out the
hellish conditions at ship-breaking yards in India and
Bangladesh, reminding this supposedly-civilised nation of the
inevitable environmental and
human impacts of dismantling a contaminated Clemenceau. They
showed us that they didn't care.
We issued a less polite reminder on December 12th 2005, when our
activists got past military security to
board the Clemenceau and stand vigil on the ship . They paid no
heed.
We took the fight to the
doorstep of the French government in India, on 03rd January
2006. The French Ambassador responded only by echoing 'His Masters'
Voice,' spinning the same old lies to an unbelieving Indian
audience.
We've even heard the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee state
explicitly that the ship will not be allowed to enter Indian
territorial waters until it has been proven that the French have
decontaminated it completely. But the ship continues to head
towards India undettered, seemingly ready to risk the ignominy of
being hounded out when it does approach us for permission to
enter.
Together, we can stop it
Now it's up to us - you and Greenpeace - to take direct action
to halt the ship's progress towards the beaches of Alang.
Join us in our fight against the Clemenceau and help us tell
the developed world that their arrogance towards developing
countries must end now!
The one missing link in our fight against the illegal import of
the Clemenceau, strangely enough, is our own government. Despite
the strongly-worded proclamation of the SCMC, the Ministry of
Environment and Forests has refused to take a stand against the
ship, and seems to be waiting for the Supreme Court to tell it how
to fulfil what should be a routine responsibility for the
Ministry.
They'll be hearing from us soon. Meanwhile, if you'd like to get
acquainted with the human cost of ship-breaking,
click here to read our report. We warn you, the pictures are
not pretty… but then, the truth seldom is.
Click here to participate in our cyberaction and remind the
French Prime Minister that India is not a dumping ground for his
country's garbage.