by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Monday, November 6, 1995:
CHOGM should commission 1995 novel peace laureate, Joseph Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences of Science and world Affairs, to lead an international study and World Affairs, to lead an international Study of the impact of French nuclear tests on the environment and health of South Pacific islanders and the eco-system
Up to date, the united Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) had failed to adopt any positive or concrete measures to oppose the continues defiance of world opinion and morality by French President Jacques Chirac, who has set off three nuclear tests in the South Pacific and wants to explode another three.
All eyes of the world are now on the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Auckland next week, which is meeting in close proximity to the two atoll of Mururoa and Fangataufa selected as the French underground test sites.
The Malaysian people are most outraged by the arrogance and conceit of the French Government in their insensitivity to world conscience and morality against French nuclear tests, especially in the dismissal of International protests by claiming that the French nuclear tests are “completely harmless”.
The world community cannot allow the French claim that its nuclear tests in the South Pacific are “completely harmless” to go unchallenged.
The commonwealth heads of Government should take the opportunity of their meeting in Auckland to commission 1995 Nobel Peace Laureate, Joseph Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences of Science and World Afairs, to lead an international study of the impact of French nuclear tests on the environment and health of South Pacific islanders and the eco-system.
Such a CHOGM commission would be pregnant with meaning and symbolism, as this was also the reason why the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave its 1995 peace Prize Jointly to Rotblat and Pugwash Conferences of science and world affairs.
In 1955, Rotblat joined Albert Einstein, Bertrand Russell and six other scientists in signing a manifesto that led to the founding of the annual Pugwash Conferences on science and world affairs to lobby governments on nuclear disarmament.
The 1995 Nobel Peace Prize award was most opportune, for it was not only 50 years since atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it was also in the midst of international controversy over the resumption of French nuclear tests, as the Nobel Committee said, “One of the reasons for the prize is a sort of protest against testing of nuclear weapons, and nuclear arms in general”.
Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences can be joined by other international organisations of scientists, like the international Physicians for the Prevention of nuclear War which was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, in the study of the impact of the French nuclear tests on the environment and health of the South Pacific islanders and the eco-system.
This study can also from the basis for drawing up of a Bill of Indemnity to demand French compensation for all damages to the health of those affected and the eco-system, whether past, present of future, arising from French nuclear tests in the South Pacific.