Contents Russian

Appeal to Japan mass media and ecological organizations

22 june 1999

Ladies and Gentlemen, your country widens the cooperation with Russia in the field of utilization of commissioned nuclear submarines of the Russian Pacific Navy and these problems were discussed during the meeting of Japan Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura and his Russian colleague Igor Ivanov. We understand the threat of these submarines and radioactive wastes and divide your anxiety.

However we should like to appeal to Japan society that it requires from Japan leadership to be more responsible in problems of ecological security because now we do not see the proper responsibility in their actions.

It's not enough to give money to Russia in order it solves ecological problems. It's necessary to be sure that the assistance is directed exactly. It's necessary to have possibility to control how these problems are being solved taking in consideration the use of Japan assistance. Now Japan is not and cannot be sure in the mode of spending its money in Russia.

The trial of military journalist Grigori Pasko in Vladivostok clearly shows the true situation in this field. Covering the ecological problems of Primorie Pasko published materials about unproper use of $100,000,000 already given by Japan for these aims.

It is obvious for anybody who analyzed the materials of the trial (now they are wide spread) that the prosecution has no proves of the crime incriminated to Pasko. So the only reason for prosecute him is the growing wish of Security and Counterespionage to stop the access of public control the ecological situation and to all the facts of infringement of international humanitarian standards by Russian Pacific Navy. (The most full materials of the trial are on the site: polit.ru/index-dossier/)

We suggest you to pay attention that the prosecution in the trial of Pasko in spite of inter-governmental negotiations on the financial assistance charges Japan journalists of collecting secret information with the help of Pasko instead of professional work. Thus the secret service let the international journalist community know that the rules of covering ecological problems will be determined by the secret service itself taking in consideration neither international standards neither Russian Constitution which forbids any limitation for spreading ecological information.

We hope you will persuade the Japan leadership to display the high state responsibility and coordinate the issues of financial assistance in utilization of radioactive wastes on the Russian Pacific Navy and the problems of informational openness on the ecological problems in the region of Pacific ocean, including stopping the prosecution of journalist Pasko whose activities was aimed to attract the public attention to the threatening ecological situation in the region of Pacific Ocean.