RAINBOW WARRIOR FREED AFTER FIVE MONTHS OF FRENCH MILITARY DETENTION

PAPEETE, March 19th 1996

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior sailed from Hao atoll into international waters today, five months after being seized by the French military during protests against nuclear testing at Moruroa last year.

The Rainbow Warrior is the fourth Greenpeace ship to be freed from French custody in the last two weeks. The Rainbow Warrior and the MV Greenpeace, due to depart Hao in the next few days, were both detained at the Hao military base, while the Vega, La Ribaude and Manutea were released from captivity at Moruroa last week.

The captains of both the Rainbow Warrior and the MV Greenpeace have been under pressure from the French authorities to leave Hao as soon as possible. The skipper of the Rainbow Warrior, Andy Troia, said that once the MV Greenpeace was released, the two ships would sail together for safety reasons for the next few days.

"Our ships are in bad disrepair and we have not had adequate time to check all the systems on board," he said. "Both ships will require extensive repairs before returning to campaign work, and Greenpeace will be able to decide their destinations only after seeing how they handle at sea."

The release of the Rainbow Warrior comes a week before France, Britain and the United States sign the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty on March 25th. Greenpeace's Bunny McDiarmid said the three nuclear powers now had an urgent responsibility to ensure a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is signed this year. China is the only nation planning to carry out nuclear tests this year prior to the conclusion of the CTBT.

"Chinese Premier Li Peng must hear from the international community in the same way that France did, that continued testing is unacceptable and is jeopardising the conclusion of an international test ban treaty," McDiarmid said.

Greenpeace is calling on its members globally to write to Chinese Premier Li Peng to ensure that the Chinese authorities are aware of citizens' opposition to nuclear testing world-wide.

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Editor's Notes:

1. The Rainbow Warrior was acquired by Greenpeace after the 1985 bombing of the first Rainbow Warrior in 1987. The sailing vessel is 55.20 meters long, 8.54 meters in width with a gross tonnage of 555. She carries a crew of up to 30 and is registered in the Netherlands.

2. The motor vessel Greenpeace was acquired by Greenpeace in 1985. One of the larger of Greenpeace's fleet, she is 58.06 meters in length and 11.22 meters wide with a gross tonnage of 905. She carries a crew of up to 37 and is also registered in the Netherlands.