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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Seafarers free to boycott S. Korea |
| 2008-12-30 |
| Seafarers will be free to boycott voyages to South Korea amid growing concern over the jailing of senior officers from the oil tanker involved in the country's worst oil spill, leading shipping organisations have said. Jasprit Chawla, master of the Hebei Spirit, was jailed on December 10 for 18 months and Syam Chetan, the chief officer, for eight months. Their vessel, which had been sitting at anchor, spilt 10,800 tonnes of crude oil into the Yellow Sea off Daesan on December 7 2007 after being hit by an out-of-control barge. Any widespread boycott could pose serious problems for South Korea, which relies on ships to supply oil, gas and coal to meet nearly all its energy needs. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #5 Blaming the tanker officers for the behavior of a loose barge? That's creative faultfinding. You can't just turn a tanker on a dime, especillay in a choppy sea. Somebody needs to explain the laws of Physics to the Korean court system. Sounds like the lower court got it right the first time, but the upper court decided to scapegoat the foreigners. It'll be interesting to see whether the boycott works. |
| Posted by: mom 2008-12-30 23:09 |
| #4 no comment from Emily? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-12-30 21:33 |
| #3 P2k, the difference is in the accommodations offered the suspect. Mini Castro Street isn't as bad as the eye watering pong of festering kimchi farts. |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2008-12-30 17:42 |
| #2 And the Captain of a ship that discharges or spills oil into San Fran Bay is simply going to be able to haul anchor and leave, even if there is an accident? Not likely, until the bureaucrats are done. |
| Posted by: P2k on holiday 2008-12-30 08:20 |
| #1 Bigotry against foreigners, nothing new here. And this sort of abuse is nothing compared to that which the ship owners deal out to their sailors. |
| Posted by: gromky 2008-12-30 01:24 |