Seanad Éireann díospóireacht -
Friday, 15 May 1998

Vol. 155 No. 14

Indian Nuclear Explosions: Statements.

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Andrews)

It is a great pleasure for me to be back here and to have this opportunity to debate the issue of nuclear testing in India.

I wish to inform the Seanad of my deep dismay and profound concern when I learned on Monday that India had carried out three nuclear test explosions. My sense of outrage was compounded when on Wednesday I was informed of the explosion of two further nuclear devices.

In view of the very great concern with which the Government views India's nuclear tests, I summoned the Chargé d'Affaires of India to the Department of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. This meeting coincided with the last two explosions. I expressed to him the Government's shock and concern at the five nuclear explosions detonated by his country during the week. I had already made known the Government's grave concern in a statement which I issued immediately after receiving reports of the first of these explosions on Monday afternoon.

I stressed to the Chargé d'Affaires the importance Ireland attaches to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and — in light of our traditional role in respect of that Treaty — our particular anxiety about the possible consequences of India's action. It is important to stress that our involvement in this Treaty goes to the spirit and heart of our foreign policy. The role of ridding the world of these obscenities has been maintained by Governments in the past, this Government and future Governments will continue this policy.

I underlined the threat which the emergence of another nuclear weapon state would represent to the prospect of achieving a world free of nuclear weapons. I also expressed my concern about the priorities of the Indian Government. I have visited India and it is a magnificent country with great people who suffer extreme poverty. The Indian Government should be fulfilling its obligations to its poor people rather than using its resources on exploding its vast armaments.

I recalled India's leadership in the non-aligned movement over the years and the disappointment which has resulted among India's friends, including Ireland, at this action. For decades India has been a most vocal advocate in the United Nations and elsewhere of nuclear disarmament. Its standing in the non-aligned movement has been a significant and defining element in the NAM approach to global nuclear disarmament. The credibility of India and of that approach has now been irrevocably called into question.

As a regional power in South Asia, India has a particular responsibility for the maintenance of peace and the reduction of tension in the region. By these actions India is failing to live up to its responsibilities.

During the past 40 years India has been a vocal advocate of nuclear disarmament. We hope and expect that India will now take account of the universal censure of its actions. We also hope that it will refrain from any further negative steps such as the weaponisation of its nuclear capability. Such developments would have serious and long-term effects on the prospects for the achievement of global disarmament. The Chargé d'Affaires assured me that he would immediately convey the view of the Government to his authorities. For its part, Ireland will redouble its efforts to have the nuclear weapon states fulfil their legally binding obligations to eliminate nuclear weapons as soon as possible.

In the immediate aftermath of the first two tests in India, the British Presidency issued a statement expressing dismay at the news of their being carried out. It stressed the European Union's full commitment to the implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty — NPT — and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty — CTBT — which seek to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It also emphasised the European Union's strong interest in the peace and stability of South Asia and its concern about the risk of nuclear and missile proliferation. Following urgent discussions at senior official level on Tuesday, a high level demarche was made to the Indian authorities in New Delhi yesterday expressing the Union's dismay and concern at these tests. The Union urged India to refrain from further tests.

The long-term implications and the possibility of sanctions will be discussed at official level next week and Minister will discuss the issue at the General Affairs Council meeting being held on 25 and 26 May.

India receives some bilateral aid from Ireland. In respect of any possible action we might take in this regard, I assure Members that the question of aid will be one of the possible sanctions discussed at the General Affairs Council meeting. In light of that discussion the Government will review the situation in respect of Irish bilateral aid. However, it must be remembered that such aid is targeted at the poorest of the poor in developing countries. Any suspension of aid would inevitably hurt these people and would cause little discomfort to the Indian Government, which carried out the tests in the first instance. As I pointed out the Chargé d'Affaires, the money used in the preparation of these terrible weapons could be better utilised elsewhere. I am concerned that Ireland should not be in the van of countries determined to suspend aid to India because we are concerned about the people of India. If aid can be given to them directly via the non-governmental organisations, which are doing a great job in India and elsewhere, so be it. On balance, I would be loath to suspend bilateral aid.

A number of Governments, including those of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia, have decided to withdraw high commissioners or ambassadors from New Delhi for consultations. To date there has been no decision that EU countries should do likewise but we are consulting closely with our EU partners on this.

I urge India's neighbour, Pakistan, to show the greatest possible restraint and not engage in any action that would further increase regional tensions. I hope the Government of Pakistan will listen to this advice from Ireland and other friendly and concerned countries.

I assure Members we will be very active on this issue in the coming days and months because we are putting in train a process to deal with this problem which will satisfy people's concerns. I undertake to keep the Seanad and the Dáil fully informed of further developments. I thank the Cathaoirleach and Members for the opportunity to express my views on the subject of Indian nuclear explosions.

Mrs. Taylor-Quinn

I thank the Leader for making time available for a debate on the tests conducted by India in recent days. The fact that India proceeded to conduct further tests, having made an announcement about the initial tests, is a blatant defiance of world opinion which must be condemned. I am amazed the Indian Government took this action given its consistent approach and commitment, through the United Nations to reducing nuclear weaponry throughout the world. As the Minister stated, India's credibility in respect of nuclear disarmament has reached rock bottom.

It has been publicly stated that the explosions were fully contained and there was no release of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Does the world community have the capability to establish the truth of these facts? It is important that the validity of information issued by states where nuclear tests are carried out can be checked.

Much publicity has been given to the decision of the Americans to impose economic sanctions. The Minister referred to the importance of ensuring that we continue to provide aid to India and I concur with his views in that regard. Is it advisable to impose economic sanctions on India? In the past tests were conducted by China in Mongolia and by France in the South Pacific. I do not recall the Americans or the EU imposing sanctions on either occasion. If a position is taken on international offences of this nature, a consistent and common approach should be adopted.

While we condemn India's actions, the imposition of economic sanctions will not necessarily impact dramatically on the Government of that country. However, sanctions will have a dramatic impact on the underprivileged. From the experience of Cuba and other countries subjected to economic sanctions, we know that ordinary citizens and the least privileged people are most affected and disadvantaged by such sanctions. Will the Minister consider raising this issue during the course of the discussions to which he referred?

There must be a mechanism other than economic sanctions through which countries conducting nuclear tests can be brought to order. The international forum of the United Nations and people with strong diplomatic skills could exert leverage on these countries which may prove to be as effective as economic sanctions. I appreciate the difficulties involved because Pakistan is ready to prove that its nuclear capability matches that of India. However, there is a need to show that the world community is serious about this matter in order to discourage Pakistan from taking that course of action.

Full commitment to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty must be further established. A meeting of the G7 Heads of State is taking place in Birmingham this morning and I am sure this matter will be discussed. However, economic might is not necessarily always right because the force of moral authority can often be more effective and powerful. I ask the Minister to pursue that line when he enters discussions on this issue.

I understand that India may now be prepared to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. If so, the Indian Government should be strongly pursued and brought to heel. A special meeting of the United Nations should be convened and the Minister should urge the EU to do the same. Countries such as China, India, France and other offenders must be taken to task by the world community, which must be seen to condemn the line of action taken by India on this occasion.

Mr. Lanigan

What can one say about this set of nuclear explosions except that we are profoundly shocked. Gandhi and others decided that India should emerge as a result of peaceful demonstrations by the people. India ended British expansionism by peaceful means and now it is trying to force the world to believe that because it has a nuclear capacity it can control events in the region. Because Pakistan, China and Russia have a nuclear potential, India has decided to show the world that it too has such a potential. These nuclear explosions are taking place at a time when millions of people in India are starving and living in unparallelled poverty. Millions of people are lying and dying on the streets of Calcutta and other cities in India, but, despite this, India is spending more money on these five tests than it would take to feed the whole country for one year. This is a deplorable act by a deplorable Government.

We should do everything possible to ensure that sanctions are imposed on the Indian Government but I have great reservations about imposing sanctions on the people of India. They are suffering enough without the further sanctions which it is suggested the World Bank and others should impose. The people of India are starving; they are without housing or sustenance. We should fight this matter through every diplomatic channel possible — at the UN and by other means. However, there are calls for sanctions against India which would impact on the poorest of the world's poor. Let us be sensible in trying to do something for the people of India while being very strong against its Government.

The Indian Government has shown tremendous hypocrisy over the past number of years. It claimed that it was non-aligned and agreed with the non-proliferation treaty. However, it abstained from signing that treaty. That Government is a crowd of self-seeking hypocrites ruled by a small group of dangerous people. Pakistan has a nuclear potential and its Government is no better. Pakistan says it will defend itself following the Indian tests, but what is it defending? India was split in two by the British after an horrific series of incidents. Why should one country have a nuclear potential just because the other has? India and Pakistan say they need a nuclear potential because of threats from China. These threats can be used as excuses. China has never invaded any country. It has been invaded on many occasions, therefore the threat from China is a spurious charge.

The Minister spoke of India's support for non-aligned countries. At the time it was supposed to be non-aligned it was creating a nuclear threat and it has continuously used this threat. From where did India obtain its nuclear potential? Was it from Britain, France or Germany? In many instances, nuclear technology has come from within the EU. We must fight those in Europe who are providing arms and nuclear technology to countries around the world. We must do whatever possible to stop the import and export of nuclear weapons technology.

What India has done is disgraceful. It is not surprising but it is potentially extremely dangerous. The Minister should do whatever he can to ensure this is the last time the world sees the proliferation of nuclear testing.

Mr. Dardis

I thank the Leader for making time available to discuss this important matter. I also thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Andrews, for his presence, particularly given that the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body is meeting. That body has important work to do in the light of next week's referendum. It is a matter of some disappointment that those who have been most vocal in seeking this debate during the Order of Business have not seen fit to attend today.

I share the Minister's dismay at what has taken place and I welcome the fact that the Indian Chargé d'Affaires was called to the Department where the Irish Government's disapproval was registered. It is appalling that India should explode five devices in one week. It is important that the House registers its strongest disapproval of this testing. It did so vocally in the past when France exploded nuclear devices in the Pacific. One hopes that the deliberations of the Irish Parliament will have some effect on the governments involved.

It is extraordinary to consider that the largest democracy in the world would proceed along these lines. One must be conscious of the effects of these matters within the region, particularly on the long standing animosity between Pakistan and India and the potential of testing of this nature to be provocative and evoke a response. Such a response has come from Pakistan and we have seen its determination to respond in kind. This is to be condemned.

Senator Lanigan rightly stated that it is difficult for us in the West to understand that India would pursue this course of action. It is the country in which Gandhi brought an empire to its knees by peaceful protest. In the light of that history, one finds it difficult to understand why India would pursue this course of action.

I welcome the Minister's strong statement that Ireland will redouble its efforts to have nuclear weapon states fulfil their legally binding obligations to eliminate these weapons at the earliest date. I also welcome his hope and expectation that India will take account of the universal censure of its actions. However, judging by reports in the newspapers and on television there is little evidence that the Indian Government, Opposition or people are prepared to take that censure on board. One hopes they will come to their senses. Yesterday President Clinton had strong words to say on this matter.

The Minister raised the issue of sanctions and he is being prudent in his response. Given the extent of poverty and deprivation in India one would be reluctant to impose sanctions which would directly impact on the people. There is a message in this for Ireland. Adoption by us of the Amsterdam Treaty will give greater coherence to the European Union's response when matters of this nature come to light. Although it does have that capacity through the Troika, it is important that the Union is able to respond with a single and coherent voice and adoption of the treaty will mark some progress in that area. It is important that Seanad Éireann and the Irish Parliament send the very clear message that we disapprove very strongly of nuclear testing by India or any other country and that it is this country's intention to ensure all nuclear weapons become obsolete resulting in no necessity for testing or explosions.

Mr. Costello

I welcome the Minister whom I know has a very busy schedule today and who in the next half our will be addressing the British-Irish Interparliamentary Body on the Northern Ireland settlement.

In relation to the five nuclear tests which have taken place this week, we are all dismayed that India should decide to go down this road. It is starting what is effectively an arms race and a destabilisation of the subcontinent with Pakistan who also has nuclear capability and will no doubt go full tilt towards ensuring it is in a position to respond to any perceived threat from its neighbour. That this should have happened is disastrous.

I welcome the Minister's decision to call in the Indian Chargé d'Affaires to register our protest about what has taken place in India. He should be made aware in no uncertain terms of our sense of outrage and dismay. We have received very hollow promises from India as to its aspirations towards a nuclear-free world that it should take this provocative initiative at this time. I am not sure if in the near future, the Minister will have an opportunity to raise this very important matter with Mr. Blair because it would be very appropriate that it be raised at the highest level in the EU and that in a single, united voice that we would say that we are totally opposed to what has happened in India. Our voice should also be heard in the United Nations arena.

The effect of nuclear tests will be to renew the nuclear arms race with Pakistan and others who would otherwise not have been looking to that option. It will also create international instability. Ireland has always been anti-nuclear arms. The Dáil and Seanad should register our greatest opposition and deepest disappointment that nuclear testing should take place on that subcontinent and ensure that appropriate measures are undertaken by the United Nations and European countries. At the same time we must remember that India is one of the poorest countries and that any sanctions imposed are more likely to fall on those who are least able to bear them.

In conclusion, we are deeply disappointed with what has happened and we should take whatever measures we can within our diplomatic brief to ensure that that message is registered at the highest level with the Indian authorities.