Indonesian police arrest more activists, disperse Greenpeace deforestation protests
www.chinaview.cn 2009-11-26 19:23:42   Print

    JAKARTA, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police finally dispersed the 26-hours protest staged by activists of environmental group Greenpeace, arrest more activists in Indonesia's paper mill of Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) identified of forest area's destroyer in Kampar peninsula, Riau, the Greenpeace Southeast Asia Communication Director Martin Baker said here on Thursday.

    "They (the activists) who are arrested today, are now being questioned in Pekanbaru police headquarters and in Pelalawan police district station," Martin told Xinhua.

    Those arrested by the police on Thursday were three foreign and one Indonesian activists who staying to occupy the crane to upload the containers in APP's export facilities, according to Martin.

    Martin also said that police have released foreign activists previously arrested on Wednesday in the protest location.

    A total of nine foreigners and six Indonesian activists were brought to the police station for further questioning over acts that had disrupted the export activities in the paper mill.

    "The foreign activists are told to leave Riau as of Today, the remaining Indonesian activists are still being questioned in local police station," Martin added. He said that no charge has been imposed against those arrested activists so far.

    Previously, Indonesian authority deported 13 Greenpeace activists and two foreign journalists who intended to cover the protest in Riau Kampar peninsula.

    Greenpeace set up a camp, called Climate Defenders Camp, in the remote western province a month ago to protest the rapid destruction of peat forests in the area.

    The protests were held ahead of a U.N. climate change conference in Denmark next month. In a statement sent to the media, Greenpeace reminded the world leaders that forest protection is an important piece of the solution if the world is to avert climate chaos.

    "The world cannot afford to lose any more forests and world leaders cannot afford to lose any more time to deliver a fair, ambitious and legally binding climate deal in December. Such a deal must include a commitment to set up a global fund to end deforestation in countries like Indonesia," Von Hernandez, Executive Director, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said in the statement.

Editor: Lin Zhi
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