March sheds light on nuclear victims, survivors

Caption: A student at The University of the South Pacific holds up a banner to commemorate the Marshall Islands’ Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day on March 1. Picture: MIRIAMA NAIKATINI/WANSOLWARA

By EPARAMA WARUA

The Marshall Islands Students’ Association (MISA) organised a march to celebrate Nuclear Victim’s Remembrance Day at The University of the South Pacific’s Laucala campus on March 1.

The march started from the Oceania Center for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies to the Japan-Pacific ICT Theater and commemorated the victims and survivors of nuclear testing carried out in the area in the 1950s.

Marshall Islands was one of the most contaminated places in the world as a result of the nuclear testing. Many islanders were displaced three days after the testing and hundreds more suffered from various illness as a result of exposure to the nuclear radiation.

Nehemiah Kilon, a descendant of those who were displaced during the testing, told Wansolwara he would not be silent about the issue.

“We have taken it upon ourselves to make known that the Marshall Islands is not sleeping about this issue. We are speaking out and letting people know that we are resilient,” said Mr Kilon.

“Let’s remember those who are displaced today in my country. Regardless of where you’re from in the Pacific, we are one ocean, one people.”

Students from Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia also joined the march to show their support.

MISA also launched a hashtag “My Fish is Your Fish” on social media to support the campaign.

Hideo Tokeak, a Marshallese student, explained why the hashtag was titled as such.

“The Americans had put the nuclear waste on an island called Rune and they covered it with cement. They haven’t done any maintenance or checks. They just left it there. Of course over time, the radiation within that whole containment would leak, and it is leaking out,” he claimed.

“It is leaking into our ocean, affecting the fish and the livelihood of the people of Marshall Islands.

“Fish don’t know boundaries, they are migratory animals, and they would go wherever instinct takes them. Who knows, they might come south one day to Fiji, Samoa or Tonga. This is why the campaign is titled ‘My Fish is Your Fish’.”

During the march, students were chanting to a very emotional verse: “We walk hand in hand, we walk hand in hand some day. Deep in my heart, I believe. We will walk hand in hand, some day.”

Marika Moala, a Tongan student, said this was an event that should be supported by all communities.

“ We are one people separated by the sea. I was moved by the solidarity of Pacific Islanders in coming in numbers to support our brothers and sisters from Marshall Islands. We are certainly one ocean, one people,” Mr Moala said.

Organiser Danity Laukon said the turnout at the march was overwhelming this year compared with last year.

• Eparama Warua is a final-year journalism student at The University of the South Pacific in Suva.