NUCLEAR TEST EYE WITNESSES FLOWN OFF MORUROA; to be deported

London--9 September 1995--Two British Greenpeace activists who were on Moruroa Atoll when the first French nuclear test was detonated this week will be deported to Europe this weekend.

90KB GIF or 27KB JPG.Matthew Whitting under French police guard.

27KB JPG.Matthew Whitting under French police guard.

90KB GIF or 27KB JPG.Alan Baker in Kayak.

The two, Alan Baker, 31, of Lewes and Matthew Whitting, 36, of Hereford were part of a Greenpeace team on a boat which was at sea for 10 days around Moruroa. Just hours before the test, Baker and Whitting went by kayak, under cover of darkness, to the atoll, disguised as French legionnaires. They arrived on the atoll at 11 pm on 3 September; one was discovered at 12.30 am on the morning of the test on 5 September, and the other at 7.20 am. They had been on the atoll for more than 24 hours undetected.

While Greenpeace cannot claim that the two delayed the test, it is known that the 11.35 am 20 kiloton detonation was the first ever French test of 193 which was set off later than 8 am.

The two have been held, without contact with their families or Greenpeace, until late yesterday Tahiti time when they were flown to Papeete under heavy guard. They were allowed a brief moment with Greenpeace lawyers, in the presence of riot police with guns, and are still in custody, but appear to be ok. Greenpeace expects them to be deported to Paris then into the UK over the weekend.

Nine other Greenpeace activists were yesterday flown from Hao Atoll where the vessels Rainbow Warrior and MV Greenpeace were towed after being arrested by the French Military on 1 September and held without legal basis since then. However, the Rainbow Warrior captain, British citizen Jon Castle, is still being held alone on the French military base. It remains unclear as to what French plans are for him.

"Two Greenpeace people witnessed the horror of an underground nuclear test on Moruroa Atoll. They were then held under guard for five days and absolutely no protest was heard from the British Government," said William Peden of Greenpeace UK.

"Similarly, Jon Castle has been held hostage for more than one week and the Greenpeace boats have been seized -- also with no legal basis. It's disgusting that John Major stands alone in supporting Jacques Chirac's resumption of French nuclear testing. It's about time he condemned these tests and committed himself to a nuclear free future, not an Anglo-French nuclear arms race," he said. "He should be ashamed of himself."

Contact William Peden pager number 01399 1133 quote number 787 032 or Cindy Baxter Greenpeace Communications 0171 833 0600. On return to the UK Whitting and Baker will give a press conference. Greenpeace UK will confirm the time after we speak to them. We expect this to be Monday.