1 eet omen | VT TTT ET TTT TTT joan pon bona rn cornea ooo ome te | eT fil FEATURES South Pacific nuclear-free zone? An example for Canada Canada under Mulroney is becoming increasingly in- volved in the U.S. ‘‘nuclear infrastructure”’ at a time when peaceful alternatives are emerging on the world scene. The non-nuclear stance that once won for our country the reputation of ‘“‘a peacemaker among na- tions”’ is gradually giving way to outright participation in U.S. nuclear war planning. In other regions of the world, however — particularly among the 13 members of the South Pacific Forum — a better alternative, the Nuclear Free Zone, is quickly becoming reality. Canadians discovered with some shock last January that this country has long been slated for ‘‘contingency”’ deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons. This means that in a ‘‘crisis’’, Canada (along with Bermuda, Iceland, the ~ Philippines, and other states) will be transformed into an atomic weapons base whether we want to be or not. The Mulroney government appears to have accepted this state of affairs. Also, by continuing to test the air- launched Cruise Missile for the U.S. Airforce, Canada has become directly involved, for the first time, in the strategic arms race. And by agreeing to U.S. demands that we upgrade the North Warning Line, Canada is locking itself into the American ‘“‘nuclear infrastruc- ture’: the Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C?1) network being constructed by the Pen- tagon to enable the U.S. to fight and ‘‘win’’ a nuclear conflict. A very different example is emerging in the South Pacific. The member-states of the South Pacific Forum — Australia, New Zealand, Fiji; Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Western Samoa, Nauru, Tuvalu, Niue, Kiribati, and the Cook Islands — agreed at their last annual summit meeting, in August 1984, to work toward the elimination of nuclear weapons and facilities in their region. At their next meeting, this August, they are expected to sign a treaty formally de- claring the South Pacific a Nuclear-Free Zone. Although details of the treaty are not yet known, it will almost certainly cover the following areas: e It will outlaw the testing, stationing, storage, acquisition and deployment of nuclear weapons in the South Pacific.” e It will also attempt to limit the abuse of other nu- clear materials, specifically by prohibiting the dumping of any radioactive wastes in the region. e It will send a strong political message to France, Backgrounder Fred Weir which continues to test nuclear devices ‘in the area, and to the Reagan administration, which increasingly views the South Pacific as a ‘‘theatre’’ of nuclear confrontation . with the USSR. New Zealand has already had one serious run-in with the U.S. Last February Prime Minister David Lange barred the American destroyer, USS Buchanan, from making a port visit in New Zealand because it was carry- ing nuclear weapons. New Zealand has adopted nuclear free policies, and has put the U.S. on notice that it will not be defended by, or contribute in any way to, nuclear weapons systems. The Reagan administration reacted with fury. Fearing that the ‘‘nuclear allergy’? might spread, the U.S. threatened economic retaliation, put the ANZUS al- liance on hold, and cut-off New Zealand’s access to American military intelligence. New Zealand’s normally conservative press was out- raged. The Auckland Star editorialized that Reagan’s threats ‘‘confirm what critics of that administration have been saying for a long time: There is no room in Ameri- can foreign policy to take account of local feelings when that superpower’s over-riding interests are at stake. ‘*The retaliation is not because of some threat to the defence of the South Pacific region; it is a big-stick lesson toany other small nations that might be tempted to do the same . Australia too has been moving, more hesitantly, in the same direction. In February Prime Minister Robert Hawke refused to grant U.S. access to Australian ter- ritory for the monitoring of MX missile tests. He also made clear Australian objections to the U.S. nuclear buildup, and to the Star Wars “‘defence’’ plan. These trends will reach a climax this August, when the treaty making the South Pacific region a Nuclear Free Zone will most certainly be enacted. Then Canada, and other countries, will have a clear model to follow. The TOP: Anti-nuclear protest in New Zealand. Bottom: USS Buchanan. Nuclear Free Zone is the only way for a country, or a region, to stay out of involvement in the nuclear arms race, while working for global peace and disarmament. As David Lange told an American audience last Feb- ruary: ‘‘New Zealanders want no part of nuclear weap- ons. We do not ask, we do not expect, the United States to come to New Zealand’s assistance with nuclear weapons or to present American nuclear capability as a deterrent to an attacker. We do not wish to have nuclear — weapons on New Zealand soil or in our harbours . ‘