18/7/91
8pm
RAINFOREST PROTESTORS RECEIVE 2 MONTH JAIL SENTENCES.
Six of the eight members of the "SOS Sarawak" group of protestors
who were detained two weeks ago in Miri Jail in Sarawak, Malay
sia, have each been sentenced to two months jail. The remaining
two protestors pleaded not guilty to the charge of criminal
trespass and have been remanded until 31st July.
Those sentenced are: NANCY ROLFE, an Australian from the Rainfor
est Action Group in Perth, JAKE KREILICK an American citizen who
has worked with the Australian environmental organisation Rain
forest Information Centre and with the US group EARTH FIRST!, and
protestors from Germany, Switzerland, USA and UK.
Swedish-born ANYA LIGHT, an Australian resident from southern
Queensland and ANGIE ZELTER from the UK, both pleaded not guilty
to the charges. ANYA has been on hunger strike since the group
were arrested on July 5th.
The impassioned court room speeches which the SOS group made in
defence of the Penan and other tribal groups, whose rainforest
homes and livelivhood are being demolished by logging companies,
were not well received by the Malaysian judge.
The group is known as SOS SARAWAK because their protest actions
were in response to a call for help from the Sarawak tribal peo
ple. The rainforest activists were arrested on July 5 for stop
ping the loading of three barges used for transporting tropical
timber from the forests in northern Sarawak.
About 400 Penan tribal people are blockading at Long Ajeng in
Sarawak. The Penan blocade group has sent a desperate message to
environmental groups around the world asking for donations for
rice to keep themselves alive during the blockade.
Environmental groups in Europe, North America and Australia are
planning massive protests against the continued logging and human
rights violations.
For further information call:
John Seed at Rainforest Information Centre, Lismore,
Phone:(066) 218505
Fax: (066) 222339
--ends--
*****************************************************************
19.7
Friends,
The Rainforest Information Centre and many groups around the
world are going to use the jailing of our brave friends as an
opportunity to pull out all the stops in our campaign to protect
the rainforests (of Sarawak and the world) by banning the import
of these timbers into our countries.
We will be posting information, updates and suggestions for
actions regularly as (r)eplies to this conference item.
Two months of sustained campaigning and actions.
We are going to get as much media as possible around this and
then Anja and Angie's trial on the July 31.
Lets brainstorm ways to get the maximum mileage for the rainfor
ests and the tribal peoples from our friends' brave sacrifice.
For a start, I propose massive protests to the Malaysian authori
ties. Please protest to the consul in your country. here are a
few addresses:
for the Earth - John Seed
Australia: High Commission of Malaysia in Australia
7 Perth Avenue, Yarralumla
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel. (062) 731 543/4/5.
Fax. (062) 732 496
Embassy of Malaysia in Belgium
(Ambassedor concurrently accredited to
EEC and Luxenbourg)
414A Avenue de Tervueran
1150 Brussels
Tel, 762-67-67/762-76-72
High Commission of Malaysia in Canada
(High Commissioner concurrently accredited
to Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana)
60 Boteler St
Ottawa Ontario KIN 8Y7
Tel. (613) 237-5182/3/4
Embassy of Malaysia in The Federal Republic
of Germany
(Ambassedor concurrently accredited to Greece)
Rheinallee 23
5300 Bonn 2
Tel. (0228) 35-10-56/57
Embassy of Malaysia in the Netherlands
(Ambassedor concurrently accredited to
Sweden, Norway and Denmark)
5 Andries Bickerweg
2517 The Hague
Tel. 65-19-27/8/9
High Commission of Malaysia in
New Zealand
Chase NBA House
163-165 The Terrace
PO Box 9422
Wellington
Tel. 738/185/6
Embassy of Malaysia in Switzerland
Laupenstrasse 37
3008 Berne
Tel. (031) 25 21 05, 25 21 06
High Commission of Malaysia
in the United Kingdom
(High Commissioner Concurrently accredited
as Ambassedor to Ireland)
45 Belgrave Square
London SW 1X8QT
Tel. 01-235-8033/15
Honarary Consulate General
for Malaysia in Finland
Aurorankatu 5A
00100 Helsinki 10
Honorary Consulate-General
for Malaysia in Denmark
Amaliegade 35
DK-1256
Copenhagen K
****************************************************************
Please also write to the Malaysian Prime Minister
Dr. Mahathir bin Mohammed
Prime Ministers Department
Jalan Dato Onn . 50480
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
The Chief Minister of Sarawak
YAB Datuk Patinggi Haji Abdul Taib Mahmud
Chief Minister's Office
Petra Jaya
Kuching
Sarawak
Malaysia
****************************************************************
ADDRESSES OF MALAYSIAN NEWSPAPERS
The New Straits Times (M) Bhd.
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Kuala Lumpur
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Editor,
Business Times
Financial Publications Sdn. Bhd.
Balai Berita
31 Jalon Riong
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MALAYSIA
Chief Editor,
Sabah Times,
No 76 Gaya st
p.o box 10525
88708 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah
MALAYSIA
ph 60 88 249 333
fax 60 88 249 666
Chief Editor,
Daily Express,
P.O. Box 10139,
88801 Kota Kinabalu
Sabah, E.M.
MALAYSIA
ph 60 88 564 42
fax 60 88 52551
Chief Editor,
Utusan Melayn (M) Bhd.,
46M Jalan Lima Melalin,
Jalan Chan San Lin,
P.O. Box 671,
55200 Kuala Lumpur, W.M.
MALAYSIA
Fax. 60 3 222 0911
The Borneo Post Sdn Bhd.,
No 9 1st floor
Island Rd. 3#3
9600 Sibu
East Malaysia
Fax. 60 84 320 549
The Borneo Bulletin,
P.O. Box 69,
KUALA BELAIT 6000
MALAYSIA
Sarawak Tribune
PO Box 138
93700 Kuching
Sarawak
Fax.60 84 320 540
EAST MALAYSIA
67 Kinta Lane
10400 Penang
MALAYSIA
The Rocket
61 Jalan Othman (Old Town)
4600 Petaling Jaya
Selangor
MALAYSIA
Borneo Mail
1st floor, 1 Jalan Bakau
Locked bag 139
88999 Kotakinabalu
ph: 60 88 711 595
60 88 711 018
fax 60 88 711 633
60 88 238 002