New focus on Marshall's nuclear testing legacy

Transcript

A new organisation just launched in Majuro hopes to help young Marshall Islanders better understand the legacy of American nuclear weapons testing in the country.

Radiation Exposure Awareness Crusaders for Humanity, or REACH - MI, believes future  Marshallese generations will need to know about the unresolved issues over the tests.

It says the hope they can then carry on the quest for justice after all the victims have died.

The organisation's president, Rosania Bennett spoke with Bridget Tunnicliffe.

ROSANIA BENNETT: Basically because this issue has been our issue for a long time and we haven't had any real resolution from the United States so we are realising also that our, the victims that were affected by the Nuclear testing they are all dying we are losing our assets and we need to get the word out.

BRIDGET TUNNICLIFFE: Do you worry that the more time that passes the harder it will be to get what you believe is justice and the right level of compensation?

RB: Definitely with our population of people that were affected by the fall out dying, today it is kind of critical for us molding our young generation and teaching them what actually happened so that they understand the real issues here.

BT: Are there already other organisations or groups in the Marshall Islands that are similar to yours?

RB: Yes actually we do have, we have those NGO's here and we are trying to collaborate with them at the moment so we can all work together.

BT: What would be your point of difference?

RB: Well we would like expand it, instead of you know all these NGO's like particular attention is to the four atolls that are directly affected. Now we are trying to raise awareness that it wasn't just the four atolls involved. That we have more than four atolls that were involved with the fall out.

BT: Has that ever been recognised by the United States?

RB: No the other atolls are not recognised and that is what we are trying to do, raise awareness that there are actually more atolls that were affected with different levels of radiation than just the four atolls.

BT: I understand that you had Bill Graham speak at the official launch and he talked about that the compensation  package included in the compact of free association was flawed. Can you tell me more about that?

RB: Well we have the, the United States promised to compensate all the Marshallese who were affected by the nuclear testing. By establishing the tribunal. Right now the tribunal has exhausted its funds. But yet we haven't paid all the Nuclear victims that were affected and that is still pending up till today.