Rainbow Warrior mooring lines severed

Rainbow Warrior mooring lines severed by coal plant personnel

Map Ta Phut, Thailand, 8 December, 2005- Three Greenpeace crew members from the organisation's flagship the Rainbow Warrior today were dropped into the Map Ta Phut port waters after BLCP coal plant staff cut the ship's mooring lines while police refused to intervene. Plant personnel had arrived with cutting equipment. The crew peacefully resisted by hanging from the mooring lines.

The Rainbow Warrior has spent the past two days alongside the pier as part of a campaign to bear witness to the climate killing impact of BLCP and the Thai Government's plans to open at least 18 further coal plants in the next decade.

"Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior have always participated in peaceful non-violent protest," said Greenpeace International spokesperson Jean Francois Fauconnier aboard The Rainbow Warrior. "We condemn this aggressive act which placed the ship and lives at risk."

"For two days we have called on both the plant's management and the Thai energy minister to respond to our demands. Greenpeace wants the construction of this plant stopped and a thorough review of the Thai Government's coal-driven energy plan to be undertaken."

"Coal plants like BLCP are guilty of causing climate change. Greenpeace will continue to expose those who continue to fund and promote dangerous energies like coal instead of looking at cleaner options like wind and solar power. Our climate simply can't wait."

On Tuesday, with the Rainbow Warrior looking on, four climbers unfurled banners saying "BLCP, Climate Killer" on the plant's coal unloading cranes. Later that day activists and volunteers set up a first camp outside the main gate of the BLCP coal power plant. Today a second camp was installed on one of the BLCP coal plant's 60-metre electrical transmission pylons. The seven activists have decorated the tower with banners relaying messages from cyber activists and miniature windmills as symbols of renewable energy.

Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to drive solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

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