Captured: Giles Lane, left, appears to cry out while his Australian companion (right) looks on
Posted on 01/15/2008 7:43:41 PM PST by Stoat
This is the moment a British anti-whaling activist was taken captive on a Japanese harpoon ship.
Giles Lane appears to be crying out in pain as the sailors surround him and bind him.
In the dramatic pictures his companion, an Australian, is wrapped around with rope and seems powerless to help.
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Captured: Giles Lane, left, appears to cry out while his Australian companion (right) looks on
Colleagues of the pair in the Sea Shepherd marine protection organisation claim they were later tied to the radar mast in the freezing cold as the vessel sped from the area in the Antarctic.
"They have assaulted and kidnapped two of my crew," said Captain Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin.
The Japanese Whaling Association last night denied the men had been tied to the mast, but admitted they were being held on board the Yushin Maru.
A spokesman claimed that Mr Lane, 36, from Cuckfield, in West Sussex, and Australian Benjamin Potts had boarded the ship illegally and intended to entangle the vessel's propellers with rope and throw bottles of acid on the decks.
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Sea spray: The Yushin Maru crew turn a high pressure hose on the men as they approach
The sensational confrontation came hours after an Australian court banned Japan from whaling in its Antarctic waters.
The ruling applies to a sanctuary declared by Australia in 2000 - which Japan does not recognise.
Some of its ships are already in the area for a planned cull of 1,000 fin and minke whales for "scientific research".
When crew members on board the Steve Irwin learned of the judgment they clapped and cheered, then tried to send a radio message to a fleet they had been shadowing for three days.
The Japanese failed to respond, so Captain Watson decided to send Mr Lane and Mr Potts to one of the ships, the Yushin Maru, to deliver a letter outlining the judgment and demanding that the whaling stop immediately.
First the sailors turned high-pressure hoses on them. And Captain Watson said that as soon as the two men boarded the ship by clambering up a ladder the Japanese set upon them.
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Illegal: Japanese whalers have been banned from hunting in Australian waters by a court judgment
"First of all they tried to throw Benjamin Potts overboard, but he managed to get his way out of that," he said.
"Then they assaulted Giles Lane. He seems to be in some pain.
"They tied him up with an incredible number of ropes. It looks like some kind of bondage movie. It's ridiculous."
There are concerns now for the safety of the two men in the freezing conditions.
In Tokyo last night, Makoto Ito, spokesman for the Japanese Whaling Association denied they had been tied to a mast.
"It is illegal to board another country's vessels on the high seas. As a result, at this stage, they are being held in custody while decisions are made on their future," he said.
"This is just propaganda by Sea Shepherd," he added. "I believe the two men are on the boat but we cannot give further details at this time.
"Sea Shepherd has been harassing our research vessels, but no one is bound to the mast of the Yushin Maru."
There are also concerns that more serious confrontations will occur in coming days when an Australian government vessel arrives in the area.
The converted cruise liner has a number of weapons on board - and environmentalists believe it will try to drive the Japanese out.
So am I. Whales are sentient mammals, and deserve better. Apparently some people here think they are really big fish. Some of the logic used to defend the market for whale hunting could be applied to dealing drugs to minors (hey, they are filling a market need)!
Uh, not that I’m a violent guy er anything, and I do love the whales, but had it been my ship under attack, this story would never have appeared in the papers. ‘Nuff said.
You're absolutely correct of course, and they are very lucky to be alive.
They would not have been so lucky if I had been Captain of that Japanese vessel.
I find that a bit of a stretch.
There are too many that substitute emotion as a replacement to logic. The whales will survive no matter what we do.
Its preferred methods?
Ramming and sinking fishing ships, throwing butyric acid on their decks, and firing machine guns. Watson argues that United Nations resolutions authorize him to commit violent acts.
But he regularly interferes with fisherman and hunters who are committing no crime.
He serves as judge, jury, and executioner — while enjoying the same tax-exempt status as universities and churches.
This is fascinating, thanks very much for posting and I hope that everyone will read it.
It all naturally begs the question, why hasn't Greenpeace and other similar organizations been categorized as terrorist groups?
This following site is directly linked by the FBI, and they don't list Greenpeace at all.
It seems to me that an update is in order.
Exactly. All the nutbars did was take attention off the issue at hand - illegal poaching - and put it on themselves, which will complicate matters for Australia.
Once there was notice the law had been passed, what was the purpose of attempting to sabotage a foreign vessel on high seas? Did they think they were going to save one more whale, or, more likely, was is a case of bravado, a terribly dangerous attempt at Shaudenfreude, that nearly got them or someone else killed.
IMO, if they had been sincere about their intentions, they would have backed off the minute the good news came, opened a few bottles of champagne, then calmly shadowed the Japanese Whaler whilst photo documenting any further violations. They then could have made themselves look like heroes by presenting this documentation to the Australians to use as evidence which would possibly lead to seizure and forfeiture of the ship, along with jail terms for the captain and crew, and bring beneficial attention to the raping of these resources.
Hopefully the boarders will spend the next 20 in a Japanese prison, subsiding on seafood parts that even the Japanese wouldn't eat...if there is such a thing (?)
Excellent points all, and as always :-)
You’ll get no arguments from me, although I would only suggest that a serious flaw exists, and this is in the fact that your excellent suggestions all hinge on things like logic,reason, rational thought, clear-mindedness and an appreciation for law and order.
I have been given no indication that these concepts are ever considered by these eco-terrorists, and so I would guess that your thoughtful post will be wasted upon them.
But thank you anyway :-)
GreenPeace was setup by USSR, Sea Shephard is a terrorist group. Enough said.
ping
“GreenPeace was setup by USSR...”
This little fact is always left out of stories about this eco-terrorist group. Greenpeace was a front group for the KGB in the 1980s. Paul Watson, its communist thug leader, advocated shooting boys who shoot birds.
Some people have no idea what they’re backing when they defend these Greenpeace scum suckers. Then again, maybe they know precisely who they’re defending.
"Don't 'poon me bro!"
An Australian government vessel is on the way to intervene. And the only source for the clain that the Greenpeacers planned to throw acid on the deck and entangle the ship’s propellers with ropes is the Japanese Whaling Commission. It may true, but with that as the only source, I wouldn’t assume so.
Because the only source of the accusation is the Japanese Whaling Commission.
They were trying to deliver a letter quickly, so the whalers couldn’t claim they were unaware of the recent court ruling when they proceeded to kill whales. The Australian government has a ship on the way to deliver the same letter, but it’s slower (unsurprisingly, since it’s being run by a government).
Sure, just like the carrier pigeons did.
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