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--------- Forwarded Message ---------
DATE: Mon, 26 Mar 2001 20:18:26
From: "Riza V. Tjahjadi" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc:[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],judy rahardjo <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
[EMAIL PROTECTED],[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED],Kontan
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Manado Post <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,petak_danum
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,[EMAIL PROTECTED], [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Indonesia and English Versions
Sorry for cross posting
Rekan-rekan,
SAFeAGE, ornop Afrika Selatan yang peduli soal dipakainya landasan,
fasilitas, militer dsb. pemerintah Indonesia dalam proses pengiriman 40
ton benih kapas Bt dari Afrika Sekatan, mengajak kita semua untuk
memberikan dukungan untuk penyampaian petisi dalam dua minggu mendatang
kepada instansi yang dipandang terlibat.
Silahkan bubuhkan nama dan organisasi anda, kemudian kirimkan kembali
kepada
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
safeage adalah singkatan dari South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic
Engineering, Aliansi untuk Pembekuan Rekayasa genetika Afrika Selatan.
Salam adil dan lestari,
Riza VT
PAN Indonesia
From: Robert Vint <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Petition against MILITARY IMPOSITION OF SOUTH AFRICAN GM
COTTON IN
INDONESIA
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Date: Mar 26 2001 16:21
From: SAFeAGE (South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic
Engineering)
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2001 3:33 PM
Subject: MILITARY IMPOSITION OF SOUTH AFRICAN GM COTTON IN
INDONESIA
[Please add your signatures below and email them back to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
- and forward this appeal to relevant contacts]
Alert SAFeAGE supporters
South African GM Cotton seed is being flown in to Indonesian
military bases and then distributed under armed guard. This is a crop
that farmers unions across SouthEast Asia believe threatens their
livelihoods.
Filipino farmers unions have vowed to destroy any GM crops, whilst
Indian farmers unions have burned Monsanto's GM cotton trials on several
occasions. If a crop is so unpopular that it has to be protected
from the public by the Army then something must be wrong with it.
Please support the letter below by sending an e-mail to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] This letter along with the names of the signatories
will be presented to the relevant government departments within the next
two weeks.
Further articles about this are pasted below the letter for your
interest.
Apologies for cross-postings
Best wishes
Karen
This letter is written to express the disquiet of the signatories
of the fact that South Africa is allowing its land, resources and
regulatory systems to be used and abused to distribute Genetically
Modified Organisms (GMOs) to the international marketplace. This has
been demonstrated by the recent export of 40 tons of GM cottonseed,
trade name Bollguard, by the Monsanto Corporation from South Africa to
Indonesia.
The trade in GMOs is controversial and largely unregulated in
third world nations. The recently agreed Cartagena Protocol (the
protocol) was agreed to by many nations but has only been ratified by a
limited number of them; South Africa has not yet signed. This protocol
would force prior consent of any trade in GMOs between signatory
nations.
The fact that both the South African and Indonesian Governments
have not yet signed the protocol and have de facto ignored the spirit
and intent of the protocol and aided and assisted the Monsanto
Corporation in distributing their seed globally against strong
opposition from civil society in both countries is of deep concern. The
fact that the precautionary principle, which was accepted as being at
the heart of the protocol, was ignored shows the disdain with which
both governments treat the rights of their citizens insofar as
regard to the imposition of GMOs on public and environmental health is
concerned. This matter demonstrates how the importance and influence of
corporate interest outweighs the principles of democratic governance and
rights.
Further, the South African Genetically Modified Organisms Act (the
GMO Act, Act 17 of 1997) does not adequately address the issue of
adequate safeguards in regard to GMOs, in that it does not address the
precautionary principle, even though it is a new and controversial
technology. Further, the GMO act is again shown to be inadequate in that
it does not in any way address the matter of export of genetically
organisms.
We, the signatories call for both governments to sign the
Cartagena protocol whilst at the same time protecting the interests of
civil society above that of corporate financial interest. Both
governments must act to stop the unregulated international trade in
GMOs that holds many risks, including risks to traditional agricultural
systems, with no proven concomitant advantages. To this end we demand
that South Africa should undertake no further international trade in
GMOs.
Signatures:
Riza V. Tjahjadi
PAN Indonesia
Jl. Persada Raya No. 1 Menteng Dalam
Jakarta 12870 Indonesia
[Please add your signatures above and email back to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
GM COTTON SEED BROUGHT INTO INDONESIA UNDER ARMED GUARD AS
PROTESTS SPREAD
"The provincial plantation office denied reports of the seed's
arrival
on Thursday morning, but at
approximately 1 p.m. on Thursday The Jakarta Post noticed a
Russian
Ilyusin transport plane, with body number IL-76T, unloading the
seed in
the airport's military area. The wide-bodied plane, chartered by
Norse
Air Charter from Johannesburg, was tightly guarded, and reporters
and
photographers were barred from approaching the plane.
Members of the Indonesian Air Force guarding the area said that
reporters must back off for security reasons."
"A number of activists, waving banners reading "Reject
Genetically
Modified Cotton in South Sulawesi", tried to intercept the convoy
of
trucks carrying the cotton seeds, which contain Bacillus
thuringiensis
(Bt), and block them from leaving the airport"
---
THE JAKARTA POST March 17, 2001
Genetically modified cotton seed arrives in Makassar from S.
Africa
MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): A total of
40 tons of genetically modified Bollgard cotton seed
arrived at the Makassar airport from South Africa on
Thursday amid strong protests from environmentalists. The
cotton seed, belonging to U.S.-based Monsanto, was imported
by Jakarta-based PT Monagro Kimia. The seed will be
distributed to seven regencies based on the recommendations
of Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih. A number of
activists, waving banners reading "Reject Genetically
Modified Cotton in South Sulawesi", tried to intercept the
convoy of trucks carrying the cotton seeds, which contain
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and block them from leaving
the airport. A sign reading "Logistic Depot Rice" was
placed on the front shield of the trucks. The activists
said that genetically modified products should be
prohibited from directly entering the province, because the
goods were still controversial. They should be quarantined
for detailed examination before being distributed, the
activists said. The Ministry of Agriculture issued decree
No. 107/2001 on Feb. 6, 2001, allowing limited sales of
genetically modified seed in Sulawesi. This decree was,
however, criticized by State Minister for the Environment
Sonny Keraf. Sonny has said that his office had to take
precautionary measures as nobody could assure the safety of
such crops (which are scientifically developed). The
authorities had apparently concealed the seed's arrival
from the press. The provincial plantation office denied
reports of the seed's arrival on Thursday morning, but at
approximately 1 p.m. on Thursday The Jakarta Post noticed a
Russian Ilyusin transport plane, with body number IL-76T,
unloading the seed in the airport's military area. The
wide-bodied plane, chartered by Norse Air Charter from
Johannesburg, was tightly guarded, and reporters and
photographers were barred from approaching the plane.
Members of the Indonesian Air Force guarding the area said
that reporters must back off for security reasons. Four
Monsanto officials, president director for Indonesia Hans
Bijlmer, communications manager Tri Soekirman, regional
manager Edwin Mudahar and public affairs officer Wahidin
Alauddin eventually spoke to reporters in the airport
canteen. Tri Soekirman said that the cotton seed was
imported to meet the needs of the province's farmers. "It's
the first import of such seed into the country. There are
at least 400,000 hectares of cotton plantations to be
developed by the farmers here," Tri Soekirman said.
Responding to the environmentalists' protests, he said
that his office had been approaching the non- governmental
organizations. "Apart from the fact that we hold the permit
from the Ministry of Agriculture, we are also taking
precautionary measures. Pros and cons are common in the
world."
"People should not worry about the negative impact of the
crops. There have been no complaints from the U.S., South
Africa, China and Argentina (where genetically modified
cotton has been grown)," he said, adding that Australia had
cultivated genetically modified cotton for the past five
years.
********************************************************************
Karen Kallmann
SAFeAGE(South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering)
Co-ordinator
25 Country Club Flats, 49 Wetton Road, Kenilworth, 7708
P O Box 18977, Wynberg, 7824
Tel: (021) 761 0549
Fax: (021) 762 2238
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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