Bringing the Pacific people together in solidarity to address nuclear legacy issues in the Pacific – Lesuma

We try bringing together Pacific people and groups, in unity and solidarity so that we have one united way against nuclear waste dumping, nuclear testing and addressing nuclear legacy issues in the Pacific.

This was highlighted by Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) in Fiji Nuclear Justice campaigner Epeli Lesuma in an interview with fijivillage News about the environmental issues surrounding the Pacific.

Lesuma says they are trying to clean the nuclear waste that colonial powers have left behind.

He says this issue refers to the testing that was undertaken by the UK, USA, France, Christmas Island, and the Marshall Islands and the Nuclear Justice in the Pacific campaign for PANG and similarly for other regional NGOs is largely based around addressing this issue in the Pacific.

He adds this campaign is also around addressing justice for indigenous communities, and affected communities in those countries.

Lesuma says it is important for us to prioritize the Pacific Island Forums panel of experts because they were a panel appointed by Pacific leaders and provided by small Pacific countries with Pacific people and concerns at heart.

He says Fiji was the chair of the forum when this panel of experts was appointed so Fijians need to continue to support the PIFs panel of experts over the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because PIFs are not swayed by their interests or the interest of more developed countries like Japan or America or France.

Lesuma says there is power in numbers and the old saying ‘United we stand, divided we fall’ comes into place at this time, so part of PANG's work is ensuring that the campaign has one voice and one message in advocating for Nuclear Free Pacific.