Friends of the Earth Brisbane
Just Peace Queensland
Brisbane Peace Convergence
Medical Association for the Prevention of War (Qld)
members of Queensland Nuclear Free Alliance

Joint Media Release
October 10, 2006

Queensland Peace Groups Warn Against Return to Mutually Assured Destruction

Friends of the Earth Brisbane, Just Peace Queensland and Brisbane Peace Convergence condemn yesterday’s North Korean nuclear test, and call for all parties to engage in a peaceful resolution of the current weapons crisis.

“We oppose nuclear weapons testing and nuclear weapons in any hands,” states Friends of the Earth spokesperson Kim Stewart. “But we are equally concerned about military retaliation or crippling sanctions which will cause suffering to the innocent civilians of North Korea, as did the sanctions in Iraq following the first Gulf War.”

“We believe that the current crisis has arisen out of the “Mutually Assured Destruction” or “MAD” mentality which fuels the US nuclear weapons program. MAD maintains that nuclear weapons help keep the peace.”

“With the US currently maintaining approximately 10,000 nuclear weapons, Russia 16,000 and China 410, it is understandable that an isolated nation, such as North Korea, would hope to gain influence through a nuclear weapons program.”

The Australian government is complicit in the development of nuclear weapons worldwide through our supply of uranium to nuclear weapons states like the US. We must stop trading in the one resource vital to nuclear weapons development if we want to have any credibility condemning North Korea.

John Howard cannot convincingly speak of peace and non-proliferation when his government just last year refused to sign a non-aggression treaty with our Asian neighbours, welcomes US spy bases like Pine Gap, allows massive joint exercises with the US involving the presence of nuclear vessels
and nuclear weapons in our ports and airports.”

And so long as we tolerate the non-compliance to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty by renegade states like the US who continue to develop new nuclear weapons, our government can not take the high moral ground over North Korea.

"Yes, North Korean nuclear testing is devastating and wrong. But it is our own hands that are stoking the fires of insecurity in our region," concludes Ms Stewart.

For more information or media:
Friends of the Earth Brisbane spokesperson Kim Stewart 0413 397 839
Just Peace Queensland spokesperson Annette Brownlie 0431 597 256
Medical Association for the Prevention of War spokesperson Rachel Darken (for a medical opinion) 0417 182 325