Greenpeace protests anti-whaling arrests

Wednesday 10th December, 06:15 AM JST

TOKYO —

Greenpeace officials from around the world gathered in Tokyo on Tuesday to protest what the group says is unfair treatment of two activists arrested earlier this year on suspicion of stealing whale meat.

About a dozen members of the environmental group presented a letter addressed to Prime Minister Taro Aso asking that Japan stop the “political prosecution” of the two and end whaling in a designated ocean sanctuary. They briefly gathered for a quiet protest in front of a parliament building before addressing reporters.

Japan has maintained its whaling program despite heavy criticism from abroad. The government kills about 1,000 whales a year under a whaling program allowed by international rules, and sells the meat as food.

The Greenpeace group, made up of executive directors from its offices in the U.S., Brazil, Australia and Japan, emphasized Tokyo’s status as a global role model.

“Japan is one of the seven largest economies in the world, and with power comes responsibility,” said Marcelo Furtado of Greenpeace Brazil.

In April, Greenpeace members Junichi Sato, 31, and Toru Suzuki, 41, removed a box containing whale meat from a postal company warehouse in Aomori, northern Japan. The meat was presented to the government as evidence that workers on government-funded whale hunts were stealing meat for their own consumption and profit.

The two were arrested by police in June for theft and illegally breaking and entering the warehouse, then later released on bail. Authorities also searched Greenpeace’s office in Tokyo.

Greenpeace says the two are banned from direct contact with the group and are under police surveillance ahead of their trial, expected early next year.

The Japanese have hunted whales for centuries, and whale meat was widely eaten in the lean years after World War II. The meat, however, has plunged in popularity in today’s prosperous Japan and, while still on the menu in a few upscale Tokyo restaurants, is only eaten regularly in small coastal whaling communities.

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Latest 15 of 27 Total Comments Show All

gaijintraveller at 10:40 AM JST - 10th December

If someone broke into a locked garage to recover a stolen motorcycle and took that motorcycle to the police and handed it over to them in order to uncover bike theft, how would they be treated?

If and only if they would be treated differently in that case, this is a case of unfair treatment.

In Britain, which is where I come from, for an act to be theft, the intention to permanently deprive the owners of possession of the item is necessary. Of course, this is Japan and the Japanese legal definition of theft applies, whatever that may be. So who were the owners? The people who posted the whalemeat were possibly not the owners. Giving the meat to the police would therefore seem to me, at least, to invalidate the charge of theft, but not breaking and entering.

I wonder if they did break into the warehouse. Again, under British law, it is necessary to break something, however small it may be, for a charge of breaking and entering. Did they break their way into the warehouse? Were they really charged with "breaking and entering" or was this a mistranslation?
cleo at 10:42 AM JST - 10th December

what happens to the whalers that were illegally taking whale meat for themselves and possibly selling it?

The powers that be decided that Kyodo Senpan, the operators of the whaling fleet, 'gave' the meat to the crew members as a bonus. Never mind the fact that the meat is supposed to be sold to cover the cost of the 'scientific research' and that huge amounts of government loans (=our taxes) remain unpaid because the 'scientific research' doesn't turn a profit. In other words, the taxpayers (the vast majority of whom do not eat whalemeat) are the only ones to lose out. And the whales, of course.
bushlover at 11:06 AM JST - 10th December

Benjie, Australia can call it whatever they like. Australian law doesn't override International Law.
noborito at 11:13 AM JST - 10th December

Anything goes on the open seas. Greenpeace. Just might become GreenAgressive if Japanese police try to do that. Be careful of nature lovers. They can go militant very very quickly. As for the labeling of terrorist, it's so funny. What Japanese will do for their whale meat.
benjie at 12:11 PM JST - 10th December

Bushlover: Which international law are you talking about exactly? The 'law' of the high seas? Or are you referring to agreements/treaties signed?

Australia's claim to these waters, as identified in the Antarctic treaty, not privvy by Japan or US, is legally binding in Australia, NZ, France, etc. Japan chooses not to recognise this. Greenpeace does.

In an International court of law, Australia's right to impose Australian law on non-nationals is a contentious issue in which there are conflicting international laws (right to defend territory VS recognised territory).

Just as Japan sees fit to 'expel' Chinese boats from Senkaku and Russia sees fit to shoot at Japanese fisherman around Kuril Isles, Australia and Greenpeace can claim intrusion by Japan. This is a territorial dispute legally.

Greenpeace is encouraging Japan to whale in its own waters, not in waters claimed by someone else.
Good_Jorb at 12:11 PM JST - 10th December

(not recognized by Japan(or the majority of the world), but claimed by Australia(and 4 other nations))
Disillusioned at 12:22 PM JST - 10th December

“Japan is one of the seven largest economies in the world, and with power comes responsibility,”

Now, where's that story about moral education?
OssanAmerica at 12:36 PM JST - 10th December

Australia's claim to these waters, as identified in the Antarctic >treaty, not privvy by Japan or US, is legally binding in Australia, NZ, >France, etc. Japan chooses not to recognise this. Greenpeace does.

Just as Japan sees fit to 'expel' Chinese boats from Senkaku and Russia >sees fit to shoot at Japanese fisherman around Kuril Isles, Australia >and Greenpeace can claim intrusion by Japan. This is a territorial >dispute legally.

Last I checked Greenpeace is a NPO and not a sovereign state. What their opinion maybe as regards territorial or diplomatic issues means absolutely nothing. I think best to to stick to Australia's position.
ca1ic0cat at 10:04 PM JST - 10th December

There is nothing unfair about arresting people for burglary. It's a crime no matter what the intended outcome is.

The interesting thing is that Australia hasn't done anything to arrest the whalers. Does this mean that they think that their sanctuary has no basis in international law? Or are they toothless?
ScottishThug at 04:35 AM JST - 11th December

Hear me now lads, they did a break and entry and need to do jail time. If the action they committed was sanctioned by Greenpeace, it has confirmed itself as a terrorist organization.
mrfish33 at 11:41 AM JST - 11th December

Japan is just as big a hypocrite in this whale fight as it claims the West is. Hunting whales is not vital to anyone in Japan.

Japan tries to make this an issue of the West trying to push its values on Japan, invading Japan's realm of culture and livliehood. Isn't a big part of the issue right now,Japan killing whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary and even in Australian waters? How long has Japan been hunting whales around Antarctica? What happened to all of the whales around Japan? If they were just killing whales around Japan, would it be as big an issue? Once they start killing animals in another part of the world, killing animals that are part of the economy and culture of other places(Australia, New Zealand)it becomes everybody's business.
davidattokyo at 12:04 PM JST - 11th December

mrfish33, Japan does support endangered species protection treaties, that's because Japan supports protecting endangered species. But Japan does not support protecting non-endangered species. Did you not realise that it's Japan that is buying elephant ivory from Southern African nations?

Hunting whales is not vital to anyone in Japan.

You asked everyone, huh?

Isn't a big part of the issue right now,Japan killing whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary and even in Australian waters?

No. The Antarctic Whale Sanctuary and the Australian version were only established after 1994. The Japanese were already hunting there before then.

How long has Japan been hunting whales around Antarctica?

Since the 1930's, pretty much the same time as every major whaling nation was down there.

Why 70 years later is Japan supposed to suddenly stop whaling there?

What happened to all of the whales around Japan?

Ask the foreign whalers who killed so many of them back in the 1800's! As for the whales that are here today, Japan's research indicates that many of them are increasing in numbers, and commercial whaling is undisputably possible for 2 baleen whale species there, with a 3rd just a matter of time before it too is confirmed.

If they were just killing whales around Japan, would it be as big an issue?

Do Australians oppose Icelandic and Norwegian whaling?

Once they start killing animals in another part of the world, killing animals that are part of the economy and culture of other places(Australia, New Zealand)it becomes everybody's business.

Sure, and why was this not a problem 70 years ago, but it is a problem now?
cleo at 12:12 PM JST - 11th December

why was this not a problem 70 years ago, but it is a problem now?

Lots of things that weren't problems 70 years ago are problems now. We aren't our great-grandparents.

70 years ago the world was a place we wouldn't recognise.
zurcronium at 01:10 PM JST - 11th December

The two should be given a metal for preventing those that eat whale meat from getting mercury poisoning. Really, you might as well break open a thermometer and suck out the mercury inside it than eat whale.
mrfish33 at 03:22 PM JST - 11th December

Davidattokyo,

I love the excuse that cause foreigners did it Japanese should be allowed to do it.

By supporting endangered species treaties Japan is infringing on the rights of subsistence hunters. Please explain who or what entity in Japan whaling is vital to?

Japan does what it wants and when others question what it does it whines about being mistreated by the West.