Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Australian Greens leader backs anti-whaling activist

Updated at 8:56 pm on 13 March 2010

Australian Greens leader, Bob Brown, says he is backing an international campaign to free a New Zealand anti-whaling activist arrested in Japan.

Sea Shepherd activist Peter Bethune was arrested on Thursday after being taken to Tokyo by the whaling research vessel Shonan Maru II, which he had boarded three weeks ago in an attempt to seek damages for what he said was the attempted murder of his crew.

Instead he was taken into custody and now, on arrival in Japan, he has been charged with trespass.

Senator Brown says he will not let people forget about Mr Bethune's plight.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully says the Japanese authorities are behaving correctly towards Mr Bethune.

He says consular staff have met him already, that he is in good health and spirits and has legal representation.

Transport Minister, Steven Joyce, says he will not be raising whaling during his visit to Tokyo for a one-day ministerial aviation security conference.

His spokesperson says the arrest of Mr Bethune is being handled by consular staff and he won't be meeting anyone involved in the matter.

The anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says the arrest of Mr Bethune in Japan is ridiculous, and the group will stand by him and help with his defence.

The Shonan Maru II was involved in a collision with the protest boat Ady Gil in the Southern Ocean two months ago.

Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson says the Japanese skipper, not Mr Bethune, should have been arrested. He says the Japanese ship destroyed the Ady Gil and almost killed six people, yet has escaped without a reprimand.

The group says it has four lawyers in Tokyo who can work with Mr Bethune.

Senator Brown also said "the crew on the Shonan Maru II ought to be in the dock and the ship impounded ... for illegal whaling and illegally refuelling in the Antarctic and illegally running down the Ady Gil".

He said "it's a travesty of justice and highlights the spinelessness of the Rudd government."

Prison sentence would be unwise - wife

Mr Bethune's wife Sharyn says she didn't think things would go as far as they have, and she thinks the Japanese authorities are making an example of her husband.

They would be unwise to give him a prison sentence, she says, because there's a huge amount of support for him.

The arrested man's father, Don Bethune, says his son is prepared to go to jail for his beliefs.

Japan's Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, says that while views of whaling might vary from country to country, Mr Bethune's actions were egregious and dangerous and should not be forgiven.

He says Mr Bethune will be tried based on the evidence, and the case should not harm international relations.

The BBC's correspondent Roland Buerk talks to Checkpoint

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