Ahwazi: No to Nuclear Power Plant
Ahwazi condemn Iran’s nuclear plans in Khuzestan, warning of a potential
Indigenous Ahwazi Arabs have condemned the construction of a nuclear power plant on their traditional lands in
Ahwazi criticism mounted as
The regime is resurrecting plans drawn up under the Shah, who had signed a contract with the French government in 1969 to construct a nuclear power station near the towns of Falahieh (Shadegan) and Mohamareh (Khorramshahr). The plans were never fully realised. The Iranian regime now plans to use Russian technology to construct a power station.
Daniel Brett, Chairman of the British Ahwazi Friendship Society, said: "Building nuclear power stations without the consent of the local population is wrong. Ahwazi Arabs continue to suffer the effects of chemical and biological weapons used in the Iran-Iraq War and they don't want more pollution and more environmental threats.
"Ahwazi Arabs are concerned about safety, fearing that the use of Russian technology in inexperienced Iranian hands could lead to a Chernobyl-like disaster, which will affect the entire region.
"In terms of addressing the country's energy balance, it makes little sense to build a nuclear power station in Khuzestan instead of utilising the abundant local oil resources. Why is the regime not locating the station in the country's energy-poor areas or nearer the most urbanised and populated areas? This would reduce costs and improve transmission. There is just no economic justification for a civilian nuclear power station in Khuzestan, where less than a tenth of the total population lives.
"Neighbouring provinces and countries should be concerned over safety issues, as Khuzestan is an earthquake-prone area. The planned power station is being built using local expertise, but nuclear reactors built in earthquake zones need highly skilled engineering to minimise risks. If the nuclear power station is built without the supervision of world-class engineers, Khuzestan could witness a Chernobyl-scale disaster.
"Given that the province is heavily militarised and under de facto martial law, it seems likely that the planned station will have some military use. We have been warning the international community for the past three years over the developments in Khuzestan and the negative impact militarisation this is having on the welfare and human rights of local inhabitants. The international community must act now to stop ethnic cleansing and militarisation in order to support human rights and peace in the region. The last thing the Ahwazi Arabs want is a nuclear power station with possible military uses in their homeland."