Kiwi in Japanese jail ignored by Government
Anti-whaling activist Peter Bethune, recently arrested for trespassing on a Japanese vessel, is essentially being ignored by the New Zealand Government. New Zealander Peter Bethune of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was detained by a Japanese whaling vessel as he tried to deliver a citizen’s arrest to the Captain, who had allegedly rammed his boat, the Ady Gil.
There is opportunity within the Maritime Crimes Act 1999 to release Mr Bethune. But while the New Zealand legal system is capable of dealing with this issue, Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully has conceded jurisdiction to Japan, effectively doing nothing for the plight of Peter Bethune.
This comes at an interesting time, the Government having just recently announced its support for a return to commercial whaling.
The Green Party has pushed for the return of Bethune, Green Party MP Gareth Hughes stating: “Our Government’s silence is disturbing. That it was silent on the ramming of the Ady Gil, and that it is silent on the plight of Pete Bethune illustrates a pervasive soft touch towards Japan’s whaling industry.”
A full background on the Maritime Crimes Act 1999 as it relates to this issue can be found here.
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