Hundreds of thousands of indigenous people in fear of radioactive contamination – when will the International Community take action?

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) sends a call to the International Community, asking for more initiative to put an end to the radioactive contamination of the Pacific Ocean as a consequence of the Fukushima disaster. "We are facing a catastrophe, while all the governments are looking the other way", criticized the STP's Asia-expert, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Friday. "The United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should not just accept Japan's inability to cope with the consequences of the nuclear disaster. For hundreds of thousands of indigenous people living on the Pacific Islands, it is a matter of life and death to ensure that the leaking radioactivity doesn't interfere with the food chain any more."

Alarmed by the news that about 300 tons of contaminated water are leaking into the ocean every day at the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the Pacific Conference of Churches had sent an appeal to the governments of the island states on Thursday, asking them to reconfirm their commitment towards a nuclear-free Pacific. Japan should to be urged to stop the contamination immediately. The Secretary General of the Conference of Churches, Pastor Francois Pihaatae from French Polynesia, said that the Japanese government is obliged to keep the neighboring states informed about the radioactive waste and its disposal. He compared the effects of the nuclear contamination of the Pacific Ocean near Fukushima to the nuclear tests that took place between 1966 and 1995. Back then, the local administration of Tahiti had not taken the consequences seriously either, even though radioactivity spreads across the ocean, becoming a threat to all the people. The Pacific Conference of Churches and the STP have been trying to draw attention to the problems of the indigenous people in the Pacific for many years.

The indigenous communities of the Pacific Islands are especially concerned about the consequences of radioactive residues that could contaminate the fish – which is their staple diet. Most of the inhabitants of the Pacific Islands are dependent on fishing.

"The behavior of the TEPCO Group – which is responsible for the nuclear disaster – and the Japanese government is irresponsible. It is also disputed under international law," said Delius. The government was informed about the leaking of the contaminated water for months – and also about the possible consequences for the food chain, not only regarding Japan, but also regarding the neighboring states. The contamination is being played down in order to deceive the public, instead of trying to get international technical assistance.