AMO Currents - ITF calls for international solidarity, action in support of Hebei Spirit officers

AMO Currents - Posted: December 2, 2008

ITF calls for international solidarity, action in support of Hebei Spirit officers

The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) has called for international solidarity and action from its member unions to remedy the injustice being faced by the captain and chief officer of the Hebei Spirit, who have been detained in South Korea despite being cleared of all charges in an oil spill involving the ship on which they were working.

In December 2007, a crane barge hit the very large crude carrier Hebei Spirit, which was at anchor near the Port of Daesan. The crane barge was being towed by a tug and the cable linking it to the tug snapped in rough seas. Although no casualties were reported, the barge punctured three of the ship's tanks, which resulted 10,800 tons of oil leaking from the tanker. The livelihoods of Korean fishing communities were seriously affected, the ITF reported.

Following an initial investigation by the Korean Coast Guard, the tug captains and the barge captain were charged with negligence and violating the marine pollution prevention law. The officers of the Hebei Spirit were charged with violating marine law. The trial concluded June 24, 2008. The Hebei Spirit officers were exonerated, as were the personnel on the barge. The two tug captains were found guilty and the barge owners were fined.

Despite being cleared of all charges by a South Korean court, two of the Indian officers of the Hebei Spirit, Capt. Jasprit Chawla and Chief Officer Syam Chetan, have been detained in South Korea while the local prosecutor's appeal of the verdict is in process. The decision is due Dec. 10.

"The Hebei Spirit oil spill was a traumatic event in Korea, and there can be no intent to evade responsibility for it. But that blame has already been apportioned by its courts," said ITF Maritime Coordinator Stephen Cotton.

The Korean court is being reminded that the world will be watching and expecting "nothing less than an impartial examination of all the evidence – which the ITF and others believe proves the men have been unjustly detained on a prosecutor’s whim and despite having already been found innocent of any blame," the ITF stated.

“We remain committed to the bringing to justice of wrongdoers, the investigation of accidents at sea, and the learning of lessons from those investigations. What we cannot and will not support is the continued criminalization of seafarers," Cotton said.