---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: EMPOWER INDIA <ttn_empo...@sancharnet.in>
*FAKE REGISTRATION - Recall toxic ship to US, demand activists* * * EXPOSING glaring forgery in the registration of Platinum II, an chored 40 nautical miles from Al ang Port in Gujarat, activist groups have demanded that the toxic-laden ship be recalled to the US. After being vindicated in their earlier charges against Platinum II for merly SS Oceanic, carrying banned toxins -- PCBs, asbestos and radioactive materials -- by the Centre's technical team, the Seattle-based NGO Basel Action Network and Delhi-based India Platfor m on Shipbreaking have come up with evidence about ship's illegal journey based on fake regis tration at the Kiribati Ship Registry in Singapore. Detailing the expose to Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh in a letter, Gopal Krishna of India Platform on Shipbreaking saysm ``The official registry of Kiribati has stated in writing tha the paper filed with the Indian au thorities is fake. The real registry, therefore, is US.'' The letter cites communication - from Liau Siew Leng, Operation - Manager at Kiribati Ship Registry, which says that ``the Ministry of Communications, Transport & Tourism Development and Govern ment of Kiribati confirmed that the , attached Platinum II certificate is definitely a fake certificate. Per haps, you can request the Indian authorities to contact us to investi gate this matter.'' The findings put a question mark on the functioning of the Central technical team sent to inspect Plat inum II as it took the registry pro- vided by owner Platinum Invest ment Services Corp based in Mon rovia, Liberia at face value. ``Though it was a ship of US origin, it got registered last at the Republic of Kirabati in Septem ber 2009 and the last port was Dubai -- allegations on issues related t to USEPA are not known and must have been verified as per normal p ro c e d u re fo l l owe d fo r s u ch purposes at the Republic of Kirabati before registration in the name of Platinum Investment Services Corporation,'' the Central team said in its report. While exposing the international racket, the activist groups have also brought to the fore the modus operandi used by shadowy companies in collusion with responsible government agencies, as BAN found out that when US's Environment Protection Agency was pressing charges, the owners denied that the ship was going to be sent for breaking on the beaches of South Asia and instead claimed it was to be reused as a ship by its new owners. The activist group alleged that the Maritime Administration aided and abetted the escape of the ship to a foreign jurisdiction by approving the sale of the vessel to a foreign buyer -- all this while the EPA was taking legal action against the owners. http://epaper.newindpress.com/NE/NE/2009/11/08/ArticleHtmls/08_11_2009_009_001.shtml?Mode=1 Forwarded by: --------------------------- Yours in Global Concern, * A.SANKAR*** *Executive Director- EMPOWER **-*-* Centre for Environment** Education, Research and Advocacy* *National Convener- National Alliance for Health, Environment and Rights ( NAFHER)* --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to humanrights-movement@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to humanrights-movement+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
