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No justice for Marshall Islands’ nuclear victims?

“many resultant indignities they suffered, from the loss of their homes and livelihoods to the horrific effects of radiation poisoning.”

Is it the End of the Line for the Bikini Islanders? Law Blog – WSJ, By Ashby Jones 5 Apri; 2010, Well, it could be the end of the road for the indigenous people of the Marshall Islands, who sued the federal government years ago for damages sustained during the government’s nuclear tests on the islands during the 1940s and 1950s. The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the plaintiffs’ appeal, letting stand a ruling from the Federal Circuit in 2009 approving the dismissal of the plaintiffs’ suit.

The quick backstory, which is interesting: Between 1946 and 1958, the United States detonated 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, then a U.S. protectorate under the United Nations. The blast was equal to exploding 1.6 Hiroshima atomic bombs a day for 12 years. The islands most directly affected were Enewetak and Bikini…..

In a 2001 settlement, the federal government agreed to pay the groups far more than that, promising the people of Enewetak $385 million and the people of Bikini $563 million for the loss of their land.

But so far, only a token amount has been paid. So a group of former inhabitants sued, seeking what they claimed was just compensation under the Fifth Amendment for the “many resultant indignities they suffered, from the loss of their homes and livelihoods to the horrific effects of radiation poisoning.”

Is it the End of the Line for the Bikini Islanders? – Law Blog – WSJ

April 6, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, indigenous issues | antinuclear, cancer, indigenous, nuclear weapons, radiation, radioactive