Cancer victims of Mururoa atomic testing get short shrift from France

Fritch Wants To Revisit Moruroa Nuclear Testing Issues http://pidp.eastwestcenter.org/pireport/2013/October/10-09-10.htm Pacific Islands Report Territorial assembly president: compensation laws don’t work WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Oct. 8, 2013) – The president of French Polynesia’s territorial assembly says the 2010 French nuclear test compensation law is not working, echoing the findings of a fresh French senate report on the issue.

Speaking on local television, Edouard Fritch says the issue needs to be revisited because too few people claiming to have suffered poor health and seeking compensation have their application recognised.

Mr. Fritch says the president, Gaston Flosse, turned to the French president, Francois Hollande, last week to point to the territory’s difficulties in dealing with cancer sufferers.

He says at the time of the weapons tests, the French Polynesian leaders like him and Mr. Flosse were assured by France that the tests were clean, but he says now they know that they were mistaken.

Last week, Mr. Flosse visited the Moruroa test site and said he was assured there was no problem with radioactivity nor any risk of the atoll collapsing.

Radio New Zealand International: www.rnzi.com