(TORONTO) Friends of the Lubicon, Amitie Lubicons-Quebec, Manitoba Future
Forest Alliance, Lubicon Defense Project, The Stop Daishowa Campaign Europe
and a new group in Japan are backing the Lubicon Lake Indian Nation demand
that the giant forestry multinational commit to stay off unceded Lubicon
land until the land rights are settled and a harvesting agreement is
negotiated respecting Lubicon wildlife and environmental concerns.
The resurgence of the Daishowa Boycott in Canada comes 10 days after
Ontario Court Judge Justice James MacPherson ruled the Friends' consumer
boycott legal, calling it "a model of how such activities should be
conducted in a democratic society."
Daishowa plans to appeal that ruling. Prior to the latest ruling by Justice
MacPherson, Daishowa had convinced the courts to shut down the consumer
boycott for the last 3 years.
The Friends say they met with Daishowa executives earlier in the week and
Daishowa told them they were "hopeful that there may be a possibility of
something happening," but that they needed more time to come up with a
commitment not to log Lubicon territories. Kevin Thomas, a spokesperson for
the Friends, replied that "Daishowa doesn't need more time. They need more
honour, they need more integrity, and they need more compassion, but they
don't need more time. The boycott is on." Thomas added "we will not grant
Daishowa any more than the ten years and ten days they've already had to
make the simple commitment being asked of them."
Thomas says the expansion of the boycott across international lines means
the boycott will "be bigger than any boycott they've faced before."
Daishowa makes paper bags, telephone directory paper, newsprint and other
paper products.
For more information, please contact:
Friends of the Lubicon
Tel: 416-763-7500
Chief Bernard Ominayak, Lubicon Lake Indian Nation
Tel: 403-629-3945
Don Sullivan, Spokesperson, Manitoba Future Forest Alliance
Tel: 204-947-3081
Marc Drouin, Spokesperson, Amitie Lubicons-Quebec
Tel: 514-844-0484
Dan Clarke, Lubicon Defense Project (Seattle)
Tel: 206-722-5785
Masano Shimaguchi(Japan)
Tel: 81+422-41-6166
Dionys Zink, Stop Daishowa Campaign Europe
Tel: 49-89-35651836
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