An unholy alliance: UK and France stand with North Korea and Russia over Nuclear Testing Justice

Castle Bravo the most powerful thermonuclear device ever tested by the USA. Wiki Image

Source: Christian CND

ICN reported in December that the Vatican had called for countries, including the UK, to make amends for the testing of nuclear weapons. Although Britain has not undertaken a test since 1991, the legacy of its 45 nuclear test explosions in Australia, Kiribati and Nevada continues to be felt by the communities affected. Food and water supplies remain contaminated, leading to health problems which pass down the generations. The psychological impact on affected communities is no less tangible, with the inescapable sense that damage to these "remote places" and their inhabitants was - and is - considered to be a price worth paying by the nuclear superpowers.

The Bible speaks of the corrosive effects of unatoned sin:

When I refused to confess my sin, my whole body wasted away… Psalm 32:3

If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

These nuclear tests were now decades ago, but the UK has never issued an apology or offered adequate reparations for the damage caused. Britain's stance in a recent vote at the United Nations seems to illustrate that, in a very different way from the innocent Pacific islanders, the UK's establishment is also still suffering from the legacy of nuclear testing. On October 27th 2023 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled "Addressing the Legacy of Nuclear Weapons: Providing Victim Assistance and Environmental Remediation to Member States Affected by the Use or Testing of Nuclear Weapons." 171 countries voted in favour. Six abstained. Only four voted against: Russia, North Korea, France and the UK.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists described this "unlikely alliance" as "shameful". Martin Tiler, Co-Chair of Christian CND, said, "I believe that you can legitimately judge a person by the company they choose to keep. We normally welcome rapprochement between traditional rivals, but in this UN vote, by standing together with Russia and North Korea, the UK has shown how desperate it is to avoid facing up to its history of nuclear imperialism."

The government spokesman lined up to respond to these criticisms appears to be Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Europe. His response to Christian CND's comments was forthright, but unenlightening: "Language contained within the [UN] resolution is incompatible with the UK Government's position… on the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)." In response, Christian CND pointed out that although the TPNW enjoys majority support at the UN, dozens of other countries which have not yet supported it were nevertheless happy to vote in favour of making good the legacy of nuclear testing, so the UK's position is perplexing.

The Minister's reply went on, "The UK has reviewed residual contamination relating to British nuclear tests on Kiribati and concluded that any required remediation had been undertaken." It is perhaps easy to write this from a desk in King Charles Street, but it sounds callous when considered alongside the well-documented experiences of the islanders themselves.

Mr Docherty goes on to mention recent moves in the UK to recognise the military veterans who were obliged to witness these tests when they took place, many of whom have also suffered from long-term health effects. (Much of the BBC reporting around nuclear testing has also focused on this angle.) This is a welcome move, but one which seems designed to play to a different audience than the issues faced by the local people, whose ancestral lands were used for some of the most destructive experiments ever carried out.

Christian CND's main focus is always on the future, not the past. The greatest priority must be to avoid the use of any further nuclear weapons, in test or in anger - which remains a frightening possibility. But if we ignore the sins of past, we are more likely to sin again.

Christian CND exists to bring a Christian angle to the wider work of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and to get more Christians actively campaigning and praying for a more peaceful world. They feel that there is a lot of latent support in the churches for their work, and great potential to do much more, so they invite ICN readers to visit their website and join the organisation if they can.

Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament - Working and praying for a world free of nuclear weapons. www.christiancnd.org.uk

Bible verses are quoted from the New English Translation.