Yesterday, seven activists were arrested during a protest
against the importation of timber illegally harvested from the
Amazon rainforest. Three U.S. activists involved in the protest
were released the same day. Although the local authorities appeared
prepared to release all seven activists, the INS intervened,
placing each of the four foreign nationals under investigation for
removal from the U.S.
“While the real criminals continue to pillage the Amazon
rainforest, these four people who just want to protect that natural
priceless treasure from illegal logging are in jail facing
deportation,” said Scott Paul, U.S. forest campaigner.
The activists originally boarded the ship to protest the lack of
U.S. action on its international commitment to tackle the illegal
timber trade. This commitment was made at the meeting of the Group
of Eight Nations (G8) in 1997, when they announced an Action
Program of Forests, which has seen no effective action in the three
years since its inception.
The ship was carrying plywood from a Malaysian logging company,
Rimbunan Hijau, which has been repeatedly fined for possession of
illegal timber.
