French Polynesia's Nuclear Workers Association says moves to make it easier for victims of nuclear weapons testing to claim compensation is no cause for celebration yet.
The French joint law commission decided unanimously this week to remove the term 'negligible risk' from the country's nuclear compensation law.
The legislation, which was introduced in 2009, has been widely criticised for being too restrictive because almost all claims have been thrown out so far.
The head of Mururoa e Tatou, Roland Oldham, told Amelia Langford that he's cynical about the French Government's motives but he's determined to get justice for victims.
Roland Oldham, head of Mururoa e Tatou
Photo: RNZ / Walter Zweifel
Transcript
ROLAND OLDHAM: It's not over yet. I mean, it still has to go through the Parliament in France and it doesn't seem like the senators and the Parliament want to finally compensate the victims.
AL: So you're not celebrating quite yet?
RO: No, no, no. Not really. We have to wait. We have to wait [to see if] the law goes through with the modification as a first point. Secondly, we have to wait for the practical application for the victim - if we do get more compensation. Because for the moment, the compensation is just about nil for the victim so there's still a long way to go.
AL: And so up till now, almost all the claims have been thrown out?
RO: Yes, most of them and for us this situation cannot go on anymore. For once [Mururoa e Tatou] and the politicians have been getting together to work through a real conversation. On the other hand... President [Francois] Hollande has been making so many promises...he knows that he's at the end because next year there will be an election for the new president - maybe this is only a new way for him to try to get the vote of the Polynesian people by giving the illusion that the law's going to be changed and there's going to be more compensation - that's why we say we are not celebrating victory yet.
AL: So this could be a cynical move, you think, by the French Government?
RO: Oh yeah, that's for sure. I mean he's been in government for five years. If he really wanted to modify the law and make the compensation more positive, he would have done it - he would have done it a long time ago. But it is the end now [of his term of presidency] - that's why we are very careful - we have been politically manipulated by the French Government, also our local politician, that's why, I repeat myself, we don't call it victory yet...but we are determined to have this law changed, we are determined to have more compensation, we are determined to have justice and truth. Otherwise...I don't like to use the word but people will be rebelling because it has been going on too long.
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