Anniversary of Marshall Islands nuclear test important for US

Transcript

The United States Ambassador to the Marshall islands, Thomas Armbruster, says sixty years since the Bravo nuclear test on Bikini Atoll is a significant anniversary and one the US wants to mark.

The blast on the 1st of March 1954 caused health and environmental problems around the Marshall Islands where people are still fighting for compensation and truth around what happened.

Mr Armbruster told Sally Round the anniversary draws attention to how far the world has come since the days of nuclear testing.

THOMAS ARMBRUSTER: For people to become aware of the history and understand where we came from, I think when they learn the history of the testing they become committed to the efforts that are underway now towards non-proliferation and global security.

SALLY ROUND: Does the US nowadays feel any guilt over those tests?

TA: I think we have a special responsibility. We recognise that in providing security, the few cannot be forgotten when you're providing for the security of the many. We have provided compensation for the tests. We have ongoing health programmes, environmental monitoring programmes, we've declassified documents but I think we do have a special responsibility and we recognise that. We work with the Marshallese government all the time on any issue that they raise in regards to the nuclear legacy. We don't see eye to eye on all the issues with respect to the nuclear legacy but we certainly try to work through them all.

SR: Will that "working through" ever lead to full compensation according to those adjudicated levels and full disclosure of all the documents available?

TA: Compensation has been about $US600 million, about $US1.05 billion in 2011 money. For now the United States considers that full and final compensation has been paid according to the 1986 Compact of Free Association. Whether there was a cause for what they called "changed circumstances", that's an issue for the US Congress to decide.

SR: The Marshallese would say they keep going to Congress but getting no results. Wouldn't it be time for some real action on this issue?

TA: I know (Marshall Islands) President Loeak has been considering a trip to Washington and I think it's good to bring this issue up along with the other issues. For us in the embassy I think our day to day work concentrates on the Compact of Free Association payment that has to do with education and health. We feel that those are the areas where we can help the Marshall Islands develop and where I think we have a responsibility as we get closer to 2023 when the Compact of Free Association payments pretty much go away.

SR: Some of those unanswered questions lie around disclosure of documents. There have been suggestions the US had a deliberate policy of using those nearby the testing site of bikini atoll, those on Rongelap for example, as guinea pigs. Will there be a day when full disclosure comes through? Do you accept there was this deliberate policy at the time?

TA: There've been a lot of documents released in the last year or so and Marshallese experts are going through those documents. I think as far as the Department of Energy is concerned, the DoE has the lead on health issues and they pushed very very hard for declassification and for openess. No I don't accept that interpretation. I've never seen anything that would lead me to that conclusion. I'm very proud of the work the DoE has been doing. For one thing they're providing scholarships for Marshallese students to study the sciences so that when issues of resettlement came up, there'll be Marshallese citizens who are well-versed in environmental and nuclear issues. And I think that will help them to determine not only what went on in the past but also to map out the future.