Philippines: Zero-Waste Activist Detained in Indonesia for Speaking Out on

4 December 2007, Manila, Philippines. Advocates for Zero Waste had
stopped in Bandung en route to the historic United Nations Climate
Change Conference (UNCCC) in Bali, forged links with citizens fighting
an incinerator project and got detained for telling the public why
incineration is hazardous to health and the climate.

Gigie Cruz from the Philippines, Shibu Nair from India and Neil Tangri
from USA are currently facing deportation proceedings after being
detained by Bandung police since Sunday on the eve of the UNCCC, which
formally began yesterday. They planned to host a forum entitled ‘Zero
Waste for Zero Warming’ at the conference, to educate others about the
strong connection between waste disposal and climate change.

The ‘GAIA 3,’ as they are being referred to in e-mails that are
circulating around the world calling for their release, are part of an
environmental network made up of more than 500 organizations in 81
countries called the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, or
GAIA. Cruz, a 33-year old mother, is a member of the Philippine Greens
and a volunteer of the EcoWaste Coalition, Greenpeace and the Magkaisa
Junk JPEPA Coalition.

At a long and energetic community meeting in Bandung, which drew more
than 2,000 participants, the three made brief remarks about the
environmental issues associated with waste incineration and healthier
alternatives, such as Zero Waste. The police then took them, under heavy
escort, to the police station, where their passports were seized, and
they were interrogated. Two local activists from Balifokus and the
People’s Alliance against the WTE Plant were also detained, but have
since been released.

“We find it ridiculous that we are being deported from Indonesia for
speaking out on waste and climate issues in a peaceful and non-violent
assembly of concerned citizens, since encouraging global public action
to address the climate crisis is the whole point of the current UN
Climate Change Conference in Bali,” expressed Gigie Cruz in a
communication sent to Manila.

Yuyun Ismawati, one of the two Indonesian activists detained, said “We
consider this incident as a victory for the global movement for zero
waste and climate justice. Our ordeal made it possible for us to raise
public awareness and concern on how waste incinerators, including
waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, are trashing and warming the climate.”

There has been a strong international response to the detention of these
individuals. As GAIA International Co-Coordinator Manny C. Calonzo
said, “We have heard a strong and unified response from people around
the world calling for the Indonesian government to allow for the
immediate and unconditional release of the GAIA 3, so that their human
rights are fully restored, and they are permitted to travel to Bali.”

For more information, please contact Manny Calonzo, GAIA International
Co-Coordinator, in the Philippines at +632-4364733, or Dave Ciplet, GAIA
U.S. Coordinator, at +1-510-883-9490, ext. 102. You can also read more
about the connections between waste, garbage incineration, and climate
change at www.zerowarming.org.

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