From: SV Rainbow Warrior http://www.greenpeace.org
Date: SUN 20-AUG-95 09:21:21 GMT
Subject: Internet updates
At last the weather is fine enough to get a good day's work in on deck. There is always plenty to attend to on a sailing ship, especially one headaing for the jaws of the French military beast at Moruroa! The inflatable boats have taken a bit of a beating out on deck from the storm, but by the end of today things are looking much more shipshape.
On the daily evening radio schedule we hear from the other boats of the Peace Flotilla: boats converging on Moruroa from each side of the Pacific. Most are makaing good progress; amongst the crews of the other boats are some friends and acquaintances of sailors on the Warrior. It is good to hear that all is well and send the odd "hello". Most of these people of the flotilla have gone to great personal risk and expense to register their opposition to nuclear weapons tests: knowing that they have the skills and equipment -- a boat -- to do so, they have gone to sea not only to express their own feelings but also on behalf of all those - countless - people who would love to do so if only they could. For some the perils of the sea are matched by the financial perils of the voyage: one skipper I spoke to in Auckland needed money for a new radio, but the only way to get it in the time available was to sell his car. Then he wouldn't be able to rung around to do all the other things he needed to do! Brave people, who recognise quite clearly that this particular battle over nuclear weapons effortlessly transcends the mundane realities of self-interest. This is nothing if not a fight represnting a community of interest amongs the peoples of the world. Already over 150 countries have officially said "NON!" to President Chirac... This is one issue that is globally unifying; an issue of true civilisation. And ultimately a issue of survival.
More later, Alice on board the Rainbow Warrior
News today is that the African National Congress has issued a statement strongly condemning a resumption of nuclear testing in the Pacific by France. "This action comes at a time when there is emerging international consensus on the need to stop such testing and to move towards the elimination of nuclear arms and technology," the statement said. " Our new democratic government has taken an important lead in the recent debates about the non-proliferation treaty and has been applauded for the example it has set by unilaterally taking a decision to dismantle South Africa's nuclear capacity. The development of nuclear bombs and the continuation of nuclear testing constitutes one of the most serious threats to humanity and a healthy environment. The ANC calls upon the French Government to immediately halt this nuclear testing. The ANC expresses its support and solidarity with all those organisations who have come out in protest against such testing."
Meanwhile, a Greenpeace protest yesterday in Istanbul against China's nuclear test earlier this week marked the arrival of the Greenpeace ship "Altair" in Turkey. Forty activists were held and interrogated, but later released, by the Turkish police outside the Chinese embassy in Istanbul. The Altair is on an anti-nuclear tour in the Mediterranean Sea. The tour will continue until mid-November, visiting Israel, Cyprus, Lebanon, Greece, Italy, Tunisia, France and Malta to mobilise public opinion against nuclear testing and in favour of nuclear disarmament.
More from the Rainbow Warrior later, Stephanie Mills, Greepeace Anti-nuclear Campaigner