Response to Ocean7 Projects’ Clarification
We refer to the ‘clarification’ by Ocean7 Projects ApS on behalf of United O7 Asia Sdn Bhd (which it co-owns with United Heavy Lift of Germany) as reported by the media on 13th September 2024.
Their so-called refutation of the accusations against United O7 Asia consists of evasion, deflection and bare denials without any supporting evidence.
First, they deny that the vessel, MV Kathrin, is going to Israel.
BDS Malaysia, or anyone else for that matter, has never said that it is going to Israel. The issue is that the lethal cargo in the vessel in the form of eight containers of RDX explosives are scheduled to be discharged at a port in the Adriatic Sea and then delivered by other means (Ocean7 operates not just marine transportation but also overland ones) to its final destination of Israel to be used for bombs and missiles. We have the evidence to support this. Latest information is that the port will be Koper in Slovenia.
Second, they deny that they are the owner of the vessel.
BDS Malaysia has never claimed that Ocean7 or United O7 Asia owns the MV Kathrin. We are aware that it is owned by a German entity. We are also aware that, more importantly, it is managed and operated by Ocean7 and we have the evidence to support that.
Third, they say that MV Kathrin’s cargo is not illegal.
This is very disingenuous. The documentation for the cargo including the RDX explosives may be in order and in compliance with the rules and regulations of international commerce. However, in the question of genocide, plausible or actual, the prevention or stopping of such a crime against humanity is peremptory over those rules and regulations of international commerce. The conveyance of weapons and lethal material of war to a state committing a genocide is illegal. The Namibian authorities withdrew the permit for the MV Kathrin to dock at their harbour after reviewing the import license issued by the Israel Ministry of Economy to the MV Kathrin, which proves that the vessel is carrying one consignment of Hexogen/RDX explosives, imported by IMI Systems. The Namibian Ministry of Justice stated that: “. Namibia must ensure that it does not, under any circumstances, become complicit in the perpetuation of genocide… Allowing the MV Kathrin, which may be carrying military cargo intended for use in acts of genocide, to dock at any Namibian harbour could render…Namibia, complicit in these atrocities.”
BDS Malaysia has the document to prove all the above.
Fourth, Ocean7 says that United O7 Asia Sdn Bhd which is located in KL and is its Asian headquarters has not had any involvement whatsoever in the shipment.
This is a bare denial without any supporting evidence. We are asked to believe that its Asian HQ in KL is neither actively nor passively involved when MV Kathrin was making her way from Haiphong, Vietnam down to Singapore up through the Malacca Straits and beyond. No matter the extent of the involvement of its various offices, United O7 Asia and Ocean7 Projects cannot deny its overall corporate responsibility if one of its projects violates the international law against genocide.
The company says that it takes its responsibilities very seriously and abides by all applicable sanctions and regulations stipulated by relevant laws. In other words, it is a good corporate citizen of whichever country it is domiciled. That being the case, United O7 Asia Sdn Bhd should have no problem whatsoever were the Malaysian authorities to scrutinise all its books and documentations relating to its past shipments.
BDS Malaysia therefore calls on the relevant Malaysian agencies to investigate thoroughly the activities of the company to see if MV Kathrin is the sole instance of it being involved in the operations to transport explosives and other lethal war materials to Israel or if there had been more in the past. Either way, the company should be ordered to cease its operations in Malaysia.
Just like the Namibian government, the Malaysian government must not only do everything at its disposal not to be in complicity with genocide, it must also be seen to be doing so.
BDS Malaysia