GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS RELEASED FROM OKINAWA JAIL AFTER CARRYING OUT PEACFUL PROTESTS

24 July 2000 Amsterdam/ Okinawa

The four Greenpeace activists who were arrested on Friday after attempting to deliver a letter protesting against illegal logging to the leaders of the G-8 - the world most powerful industrial nations, were released this morning in Okinawa, Japan. The four members of the environmental organisation were highlighting illegal and destructive logging which is rampant in the world's last remaining ancient forests.

The Greenpeace flagship the Rainbow Warrior entered the exclusion zone that Japanese authorities had set up around the summit venue in Nago, Okinawa. Eight logs from ancient forest destruction, with the flags of the G-8 countries and the EU, were towed by zodiacs in an attempt to deliver the logs to G-8 heads of government. Early Saturday morning the Rainbow Warrior was raided by Japanese authorities and prohibited from departing from the port until the G-8 summit was over.

Rainbow Warrior raided by Japanese police

Okinawa / Amsterdam, 21st July 2000

Forty Japanese policemen in riot gear have raided today the Greenpeace flag- ship Rainbow Warrior at 00h30 local time (15h30 GMT) and are currently onboard.

At this stage it is unclear if the police will arrest the entire crew and confiscate the ship or if they will leave after the raid. The Rainbow Warrior is currently berthed at berth 31, in NAHA, SHINKO, on the island of Okinawa. The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior attempted this morning to deliver 8 logs from Russian forests to G-8 leaders to highlight the elevated rate of illegal and destructive logging that continues to occur throughout the world’s last remaining ancient forests.

Four Greenpeace activists had been arrested after this peaceful protest and are still in jail. They should be brought in front of the prosecutor tomorrow (Saturday 22nd July), but it is unclear if they will be kept in custody for longer.

GREENPEACE DELIVERS CRIMINAL LOGS FROM ANCIENT FOREST TO THE LEADERS OF THE G-8

Okinawa, 21 July 2000.

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior attempted to deliver 8 logs from Russian forests today to G-8 leaders to highlight the elevated rate of illegal and destructive logging that continues to occur throughout the world's last remaining ancient forests. The logs of oak and ash are from Russia's Primorsky region where according to regional government statistics 80% of logging is illegal. Along with the logs, the Greenpeace activists tried to deliver a letter to the G-8 heads of state explaining their demands. Each log has the flag of a eight G-8 countries on it and banners with crime painted across them. The Rainbow Warrior and the log barge are currently half a mile off shore from the Summit Meeting venue.

At the same time activists in Germany continue to occupy the vessel MV Aegis which is transporting illegal timber from the endangered African forests. The activists have now been on cranes for more than 20 hours to prevent any more cargo from making it to the markets in Germany.

According to Greenpeace, time is running out for the ancient forests, of which only 20 percent remains of the original forest cover on Earth. An area the size of a football pitch is destroyed every two seconds. And while the G-8 Foreign Ministers met last week, Greenpeace intercepted ships carrying illegal timber in Russia, Japan, Portugal and Spain.

"The time to act is now. The leaders of the G-8 still have an opportunity to really do something to protect the world's ancient forests," said Michelle Sheather, Greenpeace spokesperson onboard the Rainbow Warrior in Okinawa. "In 1997 and 1998 at the G-8 summits many promises were made to combat illegal and destructive logging, yet not one of these promises has been kept. The G-8 must move beyond words and start taking action, before it's too late for our ancient forests."

Along with the US, the countries of the European Union import 75 percent of the world's timber production. G-8 countries are also providing billions of dollars in subsidies to help companies log the world's last ancient forests according to a report released yesterday by the World Resources Institute.

Recent actions carried out by Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior have resulted in very positive steps to protect the world's forests. In Russia, the Primorsky Regional Forest Prosecutor's office has suspended all logging until a thorough investigation is completed. In Japan, after two days of occupying containers proven to be transporting plywood from the Amazon, and after peaceful confrontation with the heads of the importing logging giant, Eidai, Greenpeace obtained a commitment from the company's director's to stop purchasing illegal timber from the Amazon.

"The G-8 can no longer turn their back on the ancient forests. They must assess and abolish subsidies that harm forests, implement domestic policies and laws to prevent trade in illegal and destructive logging and give development aid to combat illegal logging and trade. We now need meaningful agreements by the G-8 to save the last ancient forests," concluded Sheather.

Click here to go to: World Resources Institue report to the G-8, on ending subsidies for Ancient forest logging.

Click here to go to: 'Routes of destruction' : The international illegal timber trade Greenpeace 2000 timeline of its 'STOP ILLEGAL LOGGING' campaign, view the map showing the international illegal timber trade routes.