political conflicts concerning nuclear technology

8/3/2019 Political Conflicts Concerning Nuclear Technology

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POLITICAL

CONFLICTSCONCERNINGNUCLEARTECHNOLOGYFocusing on New Zealand andFrance


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CONTROVERSY OVER ATMOSPHERICTESTS

After WW2 the USA, Britain and France all tested nuclearweapons in the pacific.

In 1963 the British, American and Soviet governments agreed toban atmospheric tests. New Zealand also signed this treaty.Many countries did not namely, France.

New Zealand was involved in ongoing protest over Frenchnuclear testing from the mid-1960s when France began testingnuclear weapons in French Polynesia.


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France was carrying out tests on the Mururoa Atoll, in the Pacific.Greenpeace vessels sailed into the test site in 1972. Testing

schedules were upset because it is dangerous to let off theweapons with protest ships within the danger zone.


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The following year the New Zealand and Australian governmentstook France to the International Court of Justice in an attempt toban tests. France ignored the court's ruling that they ceasetesting.

The New Zealand government responded by sending two navyships into the testing zone (HMSNZ Canterbury and Otago). Acabinet minister was chosen at random to be sent on-board also(Fraser Colman, the minister of immigration and mines).

These protests must have had some effect, because in 1974 thenew French president ordered that tests only be carried outunderground.

However, testing still continued and so, of course, did theprotesting.


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CONTROVERSY OVER NUCLEAR SHIPVISITS TO NZ PORTS.

New Zealanders felt uncomfortable with possible nuclear-armedships coming into their main harbours.

Between 1978 and 1983, opposition to nuclear-armed ship visitsrose from 32% to 72%.

In 1976, the USA ships USS Truxun and Longbeach visited NZ.They were met by considerable protest, as were the submarinesPintado and Haddo in 1978 & 79.

The issue was that the USA had a neither confirm nor deny

policy. This meant that no middle ground could be reached

between the USA and NZ on this issue.


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In 1983, a visit from the USS Texas caused major protesting onthe harbourside.

There was a government election very soon, so the nuclear-freeissue became an important political issue between parties.


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The Labour party won the election (they supported making NZnuclear-free).

However, the USA decided that they had had enough of New

Zealands stance towards their nuclear ship visits and so theydecided to do one final test of the NZ governments resolve.

They sent the USS Buchanan, an older vessel, which was almostcertainly not nuclear armed and definitely not nuclear propelled.


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However, there was still no proof for the NZ government that the

Buchanan wasnt nuclear armed. The Buchanan was refused entry.

Within days, Washington ordered that visible intelligence sharingwith New Zealand be cut and NZ was demoted from ally status to

friendly by the USA.


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THE SINKING OF THE RAINBOWWARRIOR

The Rainbow Warrior was a large vessel used by the

international organisation Greenpeace.

New Zealand was now recognised as a global leader in the anti-nuclear movement and had punched well above its weight by

standing up to the USA. Greenpeace had been using New Zealands main harbour, in

Auckland, as a base to restock their ships before going to protestFrench nuclear testing at Mururoa.


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Late at night, on the 10th July 1985, two huge explosions ripped

the hull of the Rainbow Warrior to pieces, sinking it at itsmoorings and killing one crew member.

Two weeks later, two DGSE agents were caught and admittedcarrying out the bombings in scuba gear in Auckland harbour.

Although Greenpeace isnt an NZ organisation, most New

Zealanders saw this as an act of terrorism and the agents weresentenced to two years imprisonment.


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France responded to this by trying to block NZ exports access to

the European market and by boycotting NZ imports to France.

New Zealand also boycotted French imports. Eventually, both countries agreed to allow the world court to

mediate a decision on what should be done with the secretservice agents.

The court ruled that the agents would serve their sentences on

French Polynesia, this was regarded as the first insult to NewZealand.

Furthermore, both agents were released early. One for sickness

and the other, because she was pregnant.

Upon their return to France, both agents were decorated and

heralded as national heroes. This open defiance of New Zealandcaused a massive feeling of contempt for the French in the mindsof New Zealanders.


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The sinking of the Rainbow warrior promoted the silent war

which New Zealand was part of.

They couldnt rely on allies such as Britain or the USA anymore,

and had found their own ways of dealing with large politicalissues.

There was an upsurge in the feeling of nationalism in the NewZealand public, and much of their identity of independence can beattributed to events such as these.

political conflicts concerning nuclear technology

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