Tahiti, the nuclear Olympic 'Bounty Island' and full of cancer casualties…..

The idyllic French Polynesian island of Tahiti is hosting the (wave) surfing finals during these Olympic Games. But isn't the Olympics being held in Paris? Indeed, except for (wave) surfing, sailing, and windsurfing, which would be difficult to organize in one of the larger ponds in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles. And the Seine River is also unsuitable due to insufficient waves and a too small water surface. Therefore, sailing and windsurfing were chosen for the bay near Marseille, and for surfing, there was of course only one place truly suitable: the coastal town of Teahupo'o on Tahiti, where the most beautiful waves break on the coast, in fact, the most beautiful in the entire world! Tahiti is more than 15,000 kilometers from Paris, which makes the Olympic surfing competition even more special.

French Polynesia had a special status for various French governments in the past due to its great distance from the homeland (and the deep ocean). More specific with regard to carrying out nuclear tests, that is…. From 1966 to 1996, no fewer than 193 nuclear tests were carried out, which initially brought prosperity to the French Polynesian archipelago. Many French people temporarily came to the various islands who spent a part of their income locally. Moreover, money was pumped into logistical and other infrastructure projects that were necessary to detonate that gigantic amount of 193 atomic bombs. One of those tests had an explosive force comparable to 150 Hiroshima atomic bombs... So you couldn't really speak of a test, the French simply dropped a giant nuclear bomb in the ocean..."

The radiation released over the years has caused 23 types of cancer among the population of French Polynesia. The French government neglected the consequences of the nuclear tests for years, and even the official number of casualties from cancer was never documented. Fortunately, a French collective of investigative journalists did what the French state failed to do: investigate the matter. In 2021, the collective demonstrated, among other things, that the inhabitants of Tahiti had to process an overwhelming radiation dose, 500 times more than the minimum standard. President Macron could not continue to look the other way, so he visited Tahiti in the same year. His most far-reaching statement was: 'I don't think we would have done the same tests in (French) Brittany, for example. We did it here because it was further away.' Okay, but then an apology would have been appropriate too together with local healthcare investments. And not to forget, a generous compensation scheme! So far, nothing has come of it.

Since 2010, (cancer) victims can make apply for a certain compensation program but it is so complex and time-consuming that victims rarely make use of it. By the way, after submitting the paperwork, it is still questionable whether a sum will be paid out………. Cancer patients often go abroad for mediacal help - at their own expense - because the French Polynesian healthcare system leaves much to be desired…... But the French government isn’t accommodating in this area too, even optimizing the local healthcare doesn’t have the scope of Macron. Actually, his predecessors, from Jacques Chirac to François Hollande weren’t interested in solving the health care problems as well….

Naturally, this ugly side of the story is being pushed into the background during the Olympic Games, as the scenery of the coastal town of Teahupo'o is extremely suitable for a Bounty or FA commercial (who doesn’t remember the well shaped women who dived into the waves, armpit-fresh an wearing a monokini?). From the beach, the view during the Olympic surfing competition is marred by the high jury tower (including air conditioning...). Well, that will be teared down after the olympics, so the view will soon be 100% idyllic again. Apart from the damage that the construction of the tower has caused to the coral reef... But fortunately the reef can recover.

This does not apply to the (health) damage that France has inflicted on the inhabitants of French Polynesia for decades. Hopefully, the unsavory 'nuclear test issue' will finally get the attention it deserves in the French and international media. That goes especially for the French government of course! Do I have little faith in all this happening? None whatsoever…..