GREENPEACE FLIES ANTI-NUCLEAR BALLOON OVER TAJ MAHAL
The international environmental organization demands world-wide nuclear disarmament

12 June 1998

AGRA (India) -- Shortly after sunrise this morning Greenpeace activists, from India, Austria, Belgium, New Zealand and the US launched an earth-shaped hot-air balloon over the Taj Mahal to protests against nuclear weapons. The balloon carried banners reading "No nuclear bombs! Here, there, anywhere" and "Nuclear disarmament now!", as well as flags from India, Pakistan and the nuclear weapons states.

On the same day that the G-8 group of countries are meeting in London to discuss the India and Pakistan nuclear test, Greenpeace urged India and Pakistan to avoid a regional nuclear arms race and demanded that the established nuclear weapons states (United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France) take immediate steps towards global nuclear disarmament.

Greenpeace called on India and Pakistan to make immediate commitments to conduct no further nuclear weapons tests and join the international Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

"Becoming a nuclear weapons state should be an embarrassment to every citizen - not a source of pride", said Simon Carroll of Greenpeace International. "By closing the test sites and signing the CTBT, India and Pakistan would be joining the global norm against nuclear tests and taking the first steps towards a nuclear free future."

Greenpeace insisted also that the established nuclear weapons states take a lead by agreeing to get rid of their own huge nuclear stockpiles, in the same way as they have agreed to eliminate other weapons of mass destruction, such as chemical and biological weapons.

"It is ridiculous for the nuclear powers to say to Pakistan and India `Do as we say, not as we do'", said Carroll. "If they want to be part of the solution, China, Russia, France, UK and the US must stop all nuclear weapons research and development, and eliminate their existing stockpiles".

The international environmental organization is also concerned by the complete absence of verifiable information about possible health and environmental effects of the nuclear weapons tests by India and Pakistan. It has called upon both countries to open up their test sites to independent experts to enable a full investigation of the potential immediate and future environmental and health impacts.

From its beginning in 1971, when it sailed to Alaska to protest against the US nuclear testing, Greenpeace has actively campaigned for an end to all nuclear weapons tests and for global nuclear disarmament.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

-Ben Pearson, Greenpeace International, +31 20 52 49 563
-Simon Carroll, Greenpeace International, mob. (+91) 098 370 - 874 95 (Agra) or (+91) 98 101 - .... (Delhi)
-Nityanand Jayaraman, GreenpeaceInternational, mob. (+91) 098 370 - 874 93 (Agra) or (+91) 98 101 - ...(Delhi)
-Luisa Colasimone, Greenpeace Communications, mob. (+91) 98 101 81465 (Delhi)
-Stills and footage available. For information, call Greenpeace Communications.
-Possibilities of interviews in: English, Hindi, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Swedish.