New Zealanders Leave for Moruora to Free GP Vessels

[the.greenbase@green2.greenpeace.org]

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Original-TO:      World Press (Green2:Green2:Gnl:INET)
Original-Cc:      The Greenbase (Green2:Green2:Gnl:Main)
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               GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE
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>>  NEW ZEALANDERS LEAVE FOR MORUROA TO FREE GREENPEACE
VESSELS
 
AUCKLAND, March 10, 1996 (GP)  Five crew will leave Auckland
for the Moruroa nuclear test site and Hao military base
tomorrow (Monday March 11th) to join the Greenpeace vessels
detained there since September last year.
 
Five New Zealanders and a British engineer will join an
international crew in Tahiti to free the Rainbow Warrior,
Greenpeace, Vega, La Ribaude and Manutea from Moruroa and Hao
later this week.
 
"We're looking forward to being re-united with our ships, and
getting back to the job of campaigning for an end to all
nuclear testing," Greenpeace's Stephanie Mills said.  "The
ships and their crews did a magnificent job of igniting
international outrage against France's testing programme last
year, and we are determined to continue that momentum to
achieve a complete test ban this year."
 
Rainbow Warrior radio operator Tim Gorter and Vega skipper
Daniel Mares said an assessment of damage to the vessels,
including their essential communications equipment would be
the crew's first task.  
 
"The ships should never have been seized in the first place,"
Tim Gorter said. "France used massive military might to try
and block peaceful protest, but the fact is they had no legal
basis to do so, and the protests themselves had a significant
impact on the nuclear powers. Following last year's protests
against French testing, the US, France and Britain have agreed
to a 'zero yield' test ban treaty and to sign the South
Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, and France was forced to
limit its test
series and invite international scientists in to inspect
Moruroa."
 
If the condition of the ships permit, crew will sail for
Papeete for further repairs and to thank local people for
their support, before going to New Zealand and other
destinations for a full maintenance overhaul and renewed
campaigning.
 
ENDS
 
NOTE TO EDITORS:  The crew travelling to Tahiti will attend a
CREW BRIEFING at 4.30pm, Monday March 11th at the Greenpeace
office, 113 Valley Rd, Mt Eden.  They will then depart Qantas
flight 103 to Papeete at 8.05pm.
 
For further information, or if you wish to attend the Crew
Briefing, please contact Stephanie Mills or Glyn Walters,
09-630 6317 or 025-790 817 (after hours).
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