N-tests concern forum

Press, 11 August 1982, Page 4

N-tests concern forum

From

OLIVER RIDDELL

France has been sent a mild message by. the 13 leaders present at the South Pacific Forum in Rotorua about continued nuclear testing in the Pacific. It simply reiterated the forum's previous stance. The forum recalled .. its earlier strong condemnation of France's continued nuclear weapon-testing in the South Pacific, and its failure

to provide full details of the effects of past testing activities on Pacific peoples and environment. In a communique, the forum members said that they were determined to prevent further exploitation of the Pacific for nuclear purposes in ways which damaged the interests of the South Pacific States and the environment. They reaffirmed their grave concern about the pos-

sible environmental hazards in the, event of the Pacific’s becoming an international dumping ground! for ;nuclear wastes, a remark directed at Japan and the United States as well as France.

France was urged to stop its nuclear testing in the South Pacific immediately, and all States were urged not to store or dump nuclear wastes in the Pacific, particularly nuclear weapons.