Fiji compensates victims of 1950s nuclear tests and slams ‘British bureaucrats’

Fiji’s Prime Minister has criticised the UK Government over its refusal to pay compensation to soldiers exposed to radiation during British nuclear tests more than half a century ago. It comes as the soldiers have been given payouts by the Fijian government for their health problems, bringing an end to decades of campaigning by the veterans and their families. More than 70 Fijians were stationed on the Pacific Island of Kiritimati - then known as Christmas Island - during the tests in 1957 and 1958, at the height of the Cold War.

We owe it to these men to help them now, not wait for the British politicians and bureaucrats.

Mr Bainimarama

The country’s Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama (pictured above) criticised the UK Government for not paying compensation, saying: “Fiji is not prepared to wait for Britain to do the right thing. We are righting a wrong. We are closing an unfortunate chapter in our history. We are bringing justice to a brave and proud group of Fijians to whom a great injustice was done.” Fijian troops were deployed from the then-British colony of Fiji to Kiritimati, which is now part of Kiribati, during the tests. They were unaware of the mission they were being sent on.

We were only told that we will go there to test some weapons, but when we got there we found out that we were brought there to be part of the British test of weapons of mass destruction.

Naibuka Naicegulevu, 76, a Fiji veteran

Asia-Pacific Fiji veterans