Inevitable?

[Drudgewire]

Bump for new drama:


Sea Shepherd Captain Detained Onboard Japanese Whaling Vessel


Paul Bethune boarded the ship that didn't move out of the way of his boat and attempted a citizens arrest, with predictable (and potentially hilarious) results:


Detained Sea Shepherd Captain to face charges in Japan

And now this same Japanese captain who destroyed a ship almost killing its crew is intent on bringing Captain Bethune back to Japan as his captive. The question must be asked - who are the pirates here?”

I'm going to go out on a limb and say "the idiot who is about to be charged as one."

 

[GanipGnop]

What A Bethune!

I guess this means New Zealand is done with its "investigation" of the collision. If I kept Bethune as my "guest" he'd be eating a straight diet of raw whale blubber for the next three months in a chain locker. The only time I'd take him out is to wipe up the butyric acid attacks with his body then he'd go straight back to his smelly locker. He could prove how safe "stinky butter" really is. (Now back to reality) Bethune is subject to the laws of Japan while he is on a Japanese flagged vessel and it seems they have a law against boarding their vessel without legitimate reason so they may not have to prove any acts of piracy to prosecute him. I doubt Japan would consider an impromptu attempt at "citizen's arrest" at sea as a legitimate purpose. I'd like to see it go to trial but it probably won't for diplomatic reasons. Japan has something like a 98% conviction rate and their prisons are regularly cited by foreign human rights organizations for their harsh conditions. I'm sure Peter would love it.

Watson says he welcomes prosecution (for Bethune) he did the same when Canada confiscated and sold the Farley Mowat but it blew up in his face. He wasn't one of the people arrested in Canada (yet again) because he wasn't on board. He vowed the captain and first mate would fight the charges in court with the UN CHarter for Nature but when the pro bono Sea Shepherd lawyers quit a month before the trial in exasperation Watson changed his tune. Now he said Canada had barred his crew and ships from entry so they couldn't "legally" appear without breaking the law . The SSCS was notified that the crewmen in question had a waiver to appear but Watson knew Canada wasn't playing around so they avoided the trial altogether. The two crewmen Captain Alex Cornelissen of the Netherlands and 1st Officer Peter Hammarstedt of Sweden were convicted in absentia and fined $45,000 CAD.

"Japanese Fisheries Minister Hirotaka Akamatsu told reporters he wants the activist handed over to Japan's Coast Guard for investigation. Under Japanese law, intruding on a Japanese vessel without legitimate reasons can bring a prison term up to three years or a fine up to 100,000 yen (US$1,100)".

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hsHv9pJ7Ey7Nt0kwv93b7Z8ECgPwD9DSVIO82

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/16/2820800.htm