Posted by spoonman Friday 18 January, 2008 01:08 AM
Are the two people who boarded a Japanese whaling vessell pirates who need to be punished, or hostages who were fighting a good cause?
The Japanese whalers claim the two protesters are pirates for illegally boarding their ship.
The Sea Shepherd protest group on the Steve Irwin claim their crew members have been kidnapped and held hostage for ransom.
The Japanese say they will release the protesters only if Sea Shepherd stops hassling them. The captain of the Steve Irwin refuses to comply.
So do you think the pair of protesters who boarded the whaler are pirates or hostages?
For what it's worth, legally, the Japanese would most likely be entitled to take the pair back to Japan to face trial on piracy charges.
Ask yourself: If someone enters your home without your permission in breach of the law and you tied them up until the proper authorities have turned
up to arrest them, are you holding them 'hostage'? Of course not. Such is the case here.
But at the moment this is largely a PR war, and I don't know about you, but the noises from these Sea Shepherd protesters are starting wear thin.
About as thin as the 'scientific research' excuse used by the Japanese to justify the killing.
It''s only a matter of time before people die in this battle over the whales.
Do you think the protesters are pirates or hostages?
Over to you....
