Greenpeace NZ Communications Manager Suzette Jackson was jailed for 27 hours in Indonesia from September 19-20, whilst gathering evidence of the continued destruction of Indonesia's rainforests by the palm products industry. She returned to New Zealand on Thursday, and tells her story, and that of her colleagues, here in full.

On the 16th September we arrived into Sangatta, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, prepped and ready to bring the story about the palm industry and the deforestation its carrying out to the New Zealand public. What followed was definitely not on our itinerary - we got seized by the company's security guards, who passed us on to the local police. As a result we spent the next 27 hours in police custody.

When we were caught, we were filming in a Sinar Mas palm concession six hours out of Sangatta - we didn't have permission to be there. But who would give you permission to go and document rainforest destruction? Certainly not the company responsible.

I was there because, one year after I returned from Indonesia with stunning evidence of the damage the palm products industry was doing to the rainforests there, Fonterra's still taking a quarter of the world's palm kernel output.

Half an hour into our filming two irate company security guards turned up. We got back into vehicles and tried to make a break for it. Unfortunately the local drivers were not up with the play, and had left their windows down. The keys were seized, and we were trapped.

Nine of us were then at the mercy of the company's security guards. Soon around 20 company guards were at the scene. They took our equipment, but not before I was able to smuggle a memory card with some important shots in it into my clothing. Being the only girl in an all guy crew I was hopeful they wouldn't resort to body searches.

But being the only female was also scary. In some ways I felt more protected, in others more exposed. Like when I needed to go pee. I think one of the scariest points was when I had to unpack my bag in front of the company employees - some of whom had machetes. But that was nothing compared to what our Indonesian shooters and fixers had to endure.

They were screamed at, and threatened. One was told that he would be shot. But they handled it in a really calm and dignified manner. I am just glad I can't understand Bahasa so wasn't aware of what they were yelling at the time!

Before we left Sangatta today we stopped at the local hospital to visit one of our drivers. He had been hit by the company employees and was shocked and scared. We get to leave the area, but he has to stay - it's his home. Our lawyer stayed with him to take his case to the police.

About three hours after being seized by the company we were loaded onto the back of a dump truck. Two hours later, by which time my arse was raw, we had arrived at the Muara Wahau police station.

The trip gave us a new perspective on how vast the palm concession we were on was, as we had driven in a different way to how we had driven out.

And they drove FAST - we were like ball bearings being bounced around in the back. In that time all we could see was palm as far as the eye could see. Former rainforest, former orangutan habitat. Now it's covered in palm, and Fonterra buys palm kernel from these companies - disgusting.

At the police station we were held for around three hours - I dozed. We were fed. Pretty good food too. Then we were told we were being moved to the police station at Sangatta. Phew - that was a relief, as there were lots of angry company men piling into the station, taking photos of us and generally looking pretty menacing.

Sangatta was a five hour journey away - and we arrived around 2am. One of the police at the new station took a bit of a shine to me - "just call me Mr Handsome," he said. Luckily we were allowed to move from the police station to the mosque they had on the grounds.

I'd never slept in a mosque before - only managed a few hours sleep on the tiled floor with just my bag for a pillow and a rug to lie on.

Our lawyer arrived the next day. We were all questioned, the shooters and fixers especially so. They asked me lots of questions about Fonterra. I explained that NZ imports a quarter of the world's supply of PKE to feed Fonterra's industrial dairy system. And that this was once again a case of an international company exploiting Indonesia - destroying its remaining rainforests for a product that quite simply we don't need.

We were released at two in the afternoon, 27 hours after the drama began. We had no charges brought against us and weren't deported! Relief. Called my daughter and then my mum. They were really happy to hear from me.

But the campaign continues - and I will continue to work to protect Indonesia's rainforests from the likes of companies like Fonterra.

- Suzette Jackson