France says no to Pacific nuclear compensation

Geraldine Coutts

Last Updated: Wed, 6 Jul 2011 16:42:00 +1000

French Polynesia's nuclear test veterans say they are shocked and disappointed at France's decision to reject their compensation claims.

The rejection comes two years after Paris formally acknowledged that nuclear weapon tests in French Polynesia were not clean and there was an obligation to pay compensation.

There was legislation passed to allow for compensation, but now France has rejected seven out of eight compensation claims filed by veterans.

In the 30 years to 1996, France carried out almost 200 nuclear tests in French Polynesia, including 42 atmospheric tests held despite opposition from residents.

President of French Polynesia's nuclear test veterans organisation, Roland Oldham, has told Pacific Beat the rejections show France is not committed to compensating the veterans.

"As far as we're concerned, it is clear that the French government does not [plan] to take any responsibility in compensation," he said.

"[It] is only some sort of masquerade to make the world believe that France is making a big speech, that France is paying compensation for the victims.

"But the matter of fact is France is not really going to pay compensation - that's a feeling we have from this result."

Mr Oldham said the French Government was triying to "delay as much as we can to discourage first the victims, and secondly, to hope that in five or 10 years time there will be no former workers alive and it will be even harder for the family to get the paper together."

"That's what they're trying to do."

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