11 August 1991
For Immediate Release
GOLD COAST PROTESTOR SENTENCED TO 87 DAYS IMPRISONMENT IN SARAWAK
Environmental protestor, Anja Light, of the Gold Coast, has been
found guilty of criminal trespass and was sentenced in Miri,
Sarawak, Malaysia on Saturday to 80 days in prison and a $500
fine. Ms. Light has refused to pay the fine, which increases her
sentence to 87 days. Ms. Light and seven other international
protestors were arrested 5 July for protesting the logging of
Sarawak's rainforests which is destroying the homes of indigenous
rainforest dwellers.
One year after the ITTO Mission to Sarawak concluded that logging
there must be reduced to more sustainable levels, the logging
rate actually increased by 40%.
Mrs. Bebette Light, Anja's mother, stated yesterday that she
learned of Anja's sentencing from a friend in Sweden who saw it
on the news there. Said Mrs. Light:
"The Malaysian, Swedish and Australian authorities didn't
even bother to inform me of Anja's sentence, nor was Anja
allowed a phone call home. I feel very insulted.
"It's just more evidence about how the governments keep
turning their backs to the whole issue. My daughter and
the other protestors were there to call attention to
the critical environmental situation and human rights
violations in Sarawak. They went that far because the
Malaysian, Australian, and other governments continue
to ignore it."
Mrs. Light said she had talked to Anja the morning of the final
day of her trial. She reported:
"Anja said she had been up all night writing her final
speech for court. She was confident and happy...well,
maybe not happy, but just fine, thinking she would get
off lightly and maybe go free."
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On 5 July, while six of the protestors were chaining themselves
to a crane loading rainforest timbers onto a barge in Kuala Baram,
near Miri, Anja Light and Angie Zelter (UK), acted as diversions,
climbing a smaller crane nearby and serenading onlookers with
environmental ballads.
All 8 protestors were arrested. Six pleaded guilty and were
sentenced to up to 70 days in prison. Ms. Light and Ms. Zelter
pleaded not guilty and were released on bail until the trial.
The Borneo Bulletin reported on 8 August that the prosecution in
the case had failed to show criminal trespass, or that the
women's sole intention was to annoy workers on the barge.
Evidence supported by senior police officers showed the two were
there to protest the logging. The defense counsel pointed out
that the women trespassed in a civil, not criminal, sense. Also,
there was wide disparity in the evidence stated by various
witnesses of the prosecution.
However, Chief Inspector Jacob Wong said the prosecution
established a prima facie case and had proven beyond reasonable
doubt the accused had committed criminal trespass. The women
were found guilty and sentenced to 80 days imprisonment and $500
fines, the heaviest sentences received by the protestors involved.
Reliable sources report that both Ms. Light and Ms. Zelter are in
good spirits and feel strong about the principles in which they
believe and for which they are being jailed.
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*Mrs. Bebette Light available for interview days after 2:30 pm.
Phone: 075 344 583.
*Videotaped interview of Anja Light prior to her trial, and
footage of recent Penan blockades of logging roads in Sarawak
available from Dean Jeffreys. Phone 02 519 4039.
*A Malaysian Human Rights activist is available for comment on
the trial. She prefers to keep her identity confidential. She
may be contacted at work. Phone 03 641 5517 or fax 03 819 2256
(ask for Lee).
For more information, contact Kim Armstrong 066 218 505.