[GreenYes] Urgent: Update on Zero Waste leaders jailed in Bandung, Indonesia

["Gary Liss" <gary@no.address>]

Apologies for Cross-Postings

From: "Christie Keith"
<christie@no.address>
Subject: UPDATE - Urgent Action Alert: Free GAIA 3 in Bandung,
Indonesia
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 18:34:24 -0800

Dear GAIA friends & supporters,

I have an update on the situation with the GAIA 3, as they are now
being
called.  Happily, Yuyun &
Roni were released early Monday morning in
Indonesia, so now the only ones being held are foreign
nationals.  We have
updated our action alert and made it easier to take action (through
a
web-based program), so please use this one to forward to others and to
take
action yourselves.

I will keep you posted on how the situation develops.  And please
let me
know if you have any questions or ideas about how we might strengthen
our
response even more.  We have heard that the detention of our
colleagues is
being covered heavily in the local press in Bandung, and are now going
to
turn our attention to promoting media coverage in the national and
international press.

Read below for the latest action

Best,

Christie Keith
For GAIA
-----------------------

Urgent: Please take action for the immediate and unconditional release
of
colleagues and friends Gigie Cruz, Neil Tangri, and Shibu Nair from
the
Indonesian police department where they are being detained after taking
part
in a local protest against incineration and for climate justice.
Please
demand that their human rights are fully restored and that they are
permitted to travel to the upcoming climate change meetings in
Bali.

Take action now by going to:

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1843/t/4860/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=21899&t
=

The details are below:


Dear Friends,

We write to request GAIA members and friends across the globe to seek
the
immediate and unconditional release of the following international
activists
who were detained on 1 December 2007 in Bandung, Indonesia:

1.  Gigie Cruz, GAIA, Philippines
2.  Neil Tangri, GAIA, USA
3.  Shibu Nair, Thanal, India

(please see their brief profiles below)

Gigie, Neil and Shibu arrived in Indonesia last Saturday, 1 December,
to
campaign for "Zero Waste for Zero Warming" at the UN Framework
on Climate
Change Conference that will take place in Bali on 3-14 December.
Balifokus, Jala-Sampah (Garbage Network) and GAIA are planning to convene
a
civil society forum tomorrow on waste and climate.

Before heading to Bali, Gigie, Neil and Shibu traveled first to Bandung
City
to take part in a peaceful community people's assembly against a
proposed
waste incinerator. This event was organized by several Indonesian
environmental groups campaigning for climate justice.  The activity,
which
drew the warm support of over 2,000 community members, also formed part
of
the GAIA Global Day of Action against Waste and Incineration.

At the rally, Gigie, Neil and Shibu spoke about the ill effects of
incinerating waste, advocated for Zero Waste and conveyed their
solidarity
with the local campaign against incineration and for environmental
health
and justice.  They did not attack the Indonesian government in
their
statements before the assembly.

After their well-applauded speeches, the police accosted them, together
with
our Indonesian colleagues Yuyun Ismawati, who is the Executive Director
of
Balifokus, and Roni Tabroni, from the People's Alliance against the
WTE
(waste-to-energy) Plant. The five activists were then brought to the
police
station where they underwent lengthy interrogation. The police also
seized
their passports. Yuyun and Roni were subsequently released, but Gigie,
Neil
and Shibu are currently detained in a police station in Jalan Jaya (or
Jaya
Street) in Bandung.

There are no formal charges yet against Gigie, Neil and Shibu, but there
is
an expressed threat of deportation if our Indonesian friends do not
succeed
in persuading the authorities to set them free and let them fly to Bali
for
the UNFCC events.

TAKE ACTION:  We call on you to please register your concern and
appeal for
the immediate and unconditional release of Gigie, Neil and Shibu, so
that
their human rights are fully restored and that they are permitted to
travel
to Bali.

1. Please go to
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1843/t/4860/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=2
1899   
to quickly e-mail a letter about this issue to Mr. Yvo de Boer,
Executive
Secretary, UNFCCC Secretariat at secretariat@no.address, H.E. Mr.
Rachmat
Witoelar, State Minister for the Environment at rachmat@no.address,
and
the National Police Chief, Mr. Gen. Sutano, at kapolri@no.address
and
polri@no.address  

2. Please immediately CALL/FAX the Indonesian Embassy / Consulate in
your
city or country (find embassies here:
http://id.embassyinformation.com/;  
in the U.S. you can also use the following email form:
http://www.embassyofindonesia.org/detail/contactus.php)  

3.  Please CALL/FAX the Bandung Police Department (+6222-4204666,
foreign
affairs unit) and/or E-MAIL the National Police Chief, Mr. Gen. Sutano,
at
the addresses listed above.

In your message, please
1)    Register your concern and appeal for the immediate
and unconditional
release of Gigie Cruz, Neil Tangri, and Shibu Nair
2)    Request that their human rights are fully restored
and
3)    Request that they are permitted to travel to
Bali.

Sample text could include:

"I am writing to urge you to do everything in your power to ensure
the
immediate and unconditional release of our colleagues Gigie Cruz,
Neil
Tangri and Shibu Nair, who have been detained in a police station in
Jalan
Jaya (or Jaya Street) in Bandung, Indonesia after participating in a
peaceful community assembly.  They are scheduled to attend the UN
Framework
on Climate Change Conference that will take place in Bali on
3-14 December, and have planned a civil society forum tomorrow at
the
conference on waste and climate change.  We ask you to ensure that
they are
immediately released, their human rights are fully restored and that
they
are permitted to travel to Bali."

Terima kasih banyak-banyak (Thank you very much) for your immediate
response.

Sincerely yours,

Manny C. Calonzo
GAIA Secretariat
Unit 330, Eagle Court, Quezon City, Philippines
TelFax: +632-4364733
E-Mail: mannyc@no.address
Web:
www.no-burn.org


Brief information about those detained:

1.  Gigie Cruz, GAIA's Assistant Coordinator, has been working with
GAIA
since 2001 in various capacities, including membership, campaign and
information support.  Her most recent task was to coordinate last
week's
Global Day of Action against Waste and Incineration.

2.  Neil Tangri is one of GAIA's esteemed founders.  He wrote
the GAIA
report "Waste Incineration: A Dying Technology." He recently
rejoined GAIA
to coordinate our work on waste-to-energy and climate change)

3.  Shibu Nair was part of the 3-person team from the global south
who went
to California for GAIA's first Zero Waste fellowship.  He works
closely with
Jayan, a GAIA Steering Committee member from India.  Shibu was part
of the
Thanal team who hosted the Waste Not Asia Meeting held in January 2007
in
Trivandrum, Kerala



******************************************
After you read the info below,
please do the following ASAP.  This is the first time I know of in
the anti-incinerator and Zero Waste movement worldwide where our leaders
have been jailed.  We need a swift and overwhelming international
support for our colleagues:
1.  Please CALL/FAX the Indonesian 
Embassy / Consulate in your city.
2.  Please CALL/FAX the Bandung Police Department (+6222-4204666,
foreign
affairs unit) and the Bandung Immigration Department
(+6222-7275294).
3. Please E-MAIL Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary, UNFCC
Secretariat
(secretariat@no.address).

If anyone has special contacts
that can elevate this issue to global significance, please pursue those
ASAP.

Thanks!

Gary Liss

Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2007 14:09:20 -0500 (EST)
From: mannyc@no.address
To: gaia-members@no.address,
 wna@no.address,
 ecowaste_coalition@no.address,
 safe_food_philippines@no.address

Urgent: Please take action for the immediate and unconditional release of
colleagues and friends Gigie, Neil, Shibu, Yuyun and Roni from the
Indonesian police department where they are being detained after taking
part in a local protest against incineration and for climate justice.
Please demand that their human rights are fully restored and that they are
permitted to travel to Bali.  The details are below:

Dear Friends,

We write to request GAIA members and friends across the globe to seek the
immediate and unconditional release of the following GAIA activists who
are currently being detained in Bandung, Indonesia:

1.  Gigie Cruz, GAIA, Philippines
2.  Neil Tangri, GAIA, USA
3.  Shibu Nair, Thanal, India
4.  Yuyun Ismawati, Balifokus, Indonesia
5.  Roni Tabroni, People's Alliance against Waste-to Energy (WTE) Plant,
Indonesia

(please see their brief profiles below)

Gigie, Neil and Shibu arrived in Indonesia last Saturday, 1 December, to
campaign for "Zero Waste for Zero Warming" at the UN Framework on Climate
Change Conference that will take place in Bali on 3-14 December.
Balifokus, Jala-Sampah (Garbage Network) and GAIA are planning to convene
a civil society forum tomorrow on waste and climate.

Before heading to Bali, Gigie, Neil and Shibu traveled first to Bandung
City to take part in a community people's assembly against a proposed
incinerator. This event was organized by several environmental groups
campaigning for climate justice.  The activity, which drew the warm
support of over 2,000 people, also formed part of the GAIA Global Day of
Action against Waste and Incineration.

At the rally, Gigie, Neil and Shibu spoke about the ill effects of
incinerating waste, advocated for Zero Waste and conveyed their solidarity
with the local campaign against incineration and for environmental health
and justice.  They did not attack the Indonesian government in their
statements before the assembly. After their well-applauded speeches, the
police accosted them, together with our Indonesian colleagues Yuyun and
Roni, and brought them to the police station where they underwent lengthy
interrogation. The police also seized their passports. All of them are
currently detained in a police station in Jalan Jaya (or Jaya Street) in
Bandung.

There are no formal charges yet against Gigie, Neil and Shibu, but there
is an expressed threat of deportation if our Indonesian friends do not
succeed in persuading the authorities to set them free and let them fly to
Bali for the UNFCC events.  We are unaware of the charges against Yuyun
and Roni, both of whom are Indonesian citizens.

TAKE ACTION:  We call on you to please register your concern and appeal
for the immediate and unconditional release of Gigie, Neil, Shibu, Yuyun
and Roni, so that their human rights are fully restored and that they are
permitted to travel to Bali.

1.  Please CALL/FAX the Indonesian  Embassy / Consulate in your city.
2.  Please CALL/FAX the Bandung Police Department (+6222-4204666, foreign
affairs unit) and the Bandung Immigration Department (+6222-7275294).
3. Please E-MAIL Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary, UNFCC Secretariat
(secretariat@no.address).

Terima kasih banyak-banyak (Thank you very much) for your immediate response.

Sincerely yours,

Manny C. Calonzo
GAIA Secretariat
Unit 330, Eagle Court, Quezon City, Philippines
TelFax: +632-4364733
E-Mail: mannyc@no.address
Web: www.no-burn.org


1.  Gigie Cruz, our assistant coordinator, has been working with GAIA
since 2001 in various capacities, including membership, campaign and
information support.  Her most recent task was to coordinate last week's
Global Day of Action against Waste and Incineration.

2.  Neil Tangri is one of GAIA's esteemed founders.  He wrote the GAIA
report "Waste Incineration: A Dying Technology." He recently rejoined GAIA
to coordinate our work on waste-to-energy and climate change)

3.  Shibu Nair was part of the 3-person team from the global south who
went to California for GAIA's first Zero Waste fellowship.  He works
closely with Jayan, a GAIA Steering Committee member from India.  Shibu
was part of the Thanal team who hosted the Waste Not Asia Meeting held in
January 2007 in Trivandrum, Kerala

4.  Yuyun Ismawati is Executive Director of Balifokus and a GAIA member
for many years.  She attended the GAIA Global Meeting in Spain in
September 2007, where she played a very active role in the members'
deliberation on the funding of waste disposal technologies under the CDM
of the Kyoto Protocol.  Yuyun sits in the national advisory committee on
CDM.

5.  Roni Tabroni is from the People's Alliance against WTE Plant, one of
the groups formed to question and resist a planned WTE facility in
Bandung.

Gary Liss & Associates  
916-652-7850    
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com