INTERNATIONAL PARLIAMENTARIANS PROTEST NUCLEAR TESTING AT MORUROA

OFF MORUROA ATOLL, South Pacific, 9th September, 1995 -- (GP) Eight parliamentarians from Japan, Sweden, Luxembourg, Italy and Australia today on board the vessel La Ribaud sailed into France's 12-mile exclusion zone around the test site at Moruroa atoll to deliver a joint statement declaring that France is in breach of commitments made under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and is not in compliance with the Euratom treaty.

Two activists from Austria representing Global 2000, an Austrian environmental organisation accompanied the parliamentarians. They were joined by journalists from Italy, Spain, Great Britain, Germany and the United States. All were arrested by French military officials after crossing into the exclusion zone set up by the French around the nuclear testing site at Moruroa and Fangataufa atolls at 1329 local time.

The Peace Flotilla of some 15 vessels outside the exclusion zone protesting the recent French test accompanied the parliamentarians to the line. Greenpeace activists crewing the boat were also arrested.

"We are united in our demand for an immediate end to nuclear testing at Moruroa. We come in peace and our method of protest is one of complete non-violence," states the declaration of the international parliamentarians at Moruroa. "We firmly condemn the arrogance and colonial attitude of the French government and its indifference and disregard for all the nations of the South Pacific."

The Declaration calls on France to release all scientific data on the effects of its nuclear weapons testing and to allow independent scientific monitoring. It also stated that Chirac is acting in "complete contradiction to the whole tradition of France as the cradle of democracy and human rights."

The parliamentarians who were arrested today at Moruroa were: Australia -- Tom Wheelwright, Ian Cohen Japan -- Kou Tanaka, Noboro Usami Sweden -- Eva Goes Italy -- Lino De Benetti, Sauro Turroni Luxembourg -- Jup Weber Austria's Global 2000 in Austria--Ilonka Horvath, Kastenhofer

The journalists who were on the boat were Paul Brown (The Guardian, UK), Sara Gandolfi (Corriere Sera, Italy), Enric Gonzales (El Pais, Spain), Ralf Kaiser (ZDF Television, Germany) Carlo Pizzati (La Republica, Italy), Gerd Schuster (Stern Magazine, Germany) and John Skow (Time Magazine, USA).

The Peace Flotilla joining Greenpeace in protesting near Moruroa is made up of ships and crew from Chile, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Japan, the United States, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Belgium and Polynesia. The Flotilla plans to continue a creative protest in the Pacific as they maintain a non-violent vigil at the French nuclear test site.

The Parliamentarians' declaration concludes with "We ask the President of the French Democracy, M. Jacques Chirac, in the name of millions of people in the democracies we represent, to act now like a world statesman and heed our call."

Contact: Greenpeace Tahiti: +689-433-280
Greenpeace Communications: +44171-833-0600.