10 Feb 2015

UK rebuked for Fiji nuke veterans payment failure

11:33 am on 10 February 2015

The chairman of the New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans Association, Roy Sefton says it is the UK and not Fiji which should be compensating Fiji's nuclear test veterans.

His comments come after the Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced he could no longer wait for Britain and the veterans will be paid by his government.

The men are to get about five thousand US dollars each.

But Roy Sefton says no amount of money can compensate for the impact of the nuclear tests on veterans lives.

A nuclear explosion from an atomic bomb test, mushroom cloud.

A nuclear explosion from an atomic bomb test Photo: Supplied

" The British government really needs to do the honourable thing. I think really it's got to be the only government in the world that doesn't give some meaningful recognition to its veterans and we include ourselves in that."

The chairman of the New Zealand Nuclear Test Veterans Association, Roy Sefton