Panamanian Just Demand Should Be Met
On December 31, at 12 sharp, this year, Panama is going to recover sovereignty over its Panama Canal from the hands of the US. By arrangements already made with Panama, the US should clear out all remains of explosives at military bases being handed over along with the Panama Canal by the end of the year. But the US has to be demanded to attend to its clean-up job for it is "far from clearing out the remains" of its leftover explosives according to Panama.
June 30 saw the holding of a ceremony for the US to hand over its last military base, Fort Sherman, on the bank of the Atlantic to Panama. Panamanian President Ernesto Perez Balladares reminded that on the 3175 hectares of land of former US military bases including Fort Sherman in the area of the Panama Canal the US government has still not done a thorough cleaning of chemicals, poisonous materials and explosives as have been demanded. He pointed out that to recover sovereignty over former US military bases by Panama does not mean that the US can pack off home without doing a bit of cleaning in the country it has long contaminated. The Panamanian government insists on the demand that the US government should take the responsibility for cleaning up all of its former military bases prior to their handing over to Panama so that the relations between the two countries will not be affected.
It is reported that large tracts of Panamanian land as military bases of the US in the area of the Panama Canal had been used by the US Southern Command for war exercises, target practice and tests on the use of chemical weaponry. US contaminated land in Panama extends over as many as 3175 hectares of land in the middle section of the Panama Canal ending on the banks of the Pacific. The last few years have seen a mortality of 21 and a good many of injuries from leftover explosives found in former US military bases. In 1978, soon after the US turned over its old military base in Rio Hato, explosion on July 5 wounded two Panamanian youth in the vicinity of the base, around 120 kilometers southeast of the capital, Panama's authorities said. With these people may be warned of other possible dangers, mortality and injuries that might befall on people in other old military bases of the US in Panama.
But against the Panamanian demand for a clean-up of "remains of explosives", the US government just has its say to the contrary: Deep among the mountains, especially some forested areas, all danger will be ruled out for people hardly set their foot in. By the US logic, there is no danger of explosives to speak of. When an investigation by experts on US tests of chemical weaponry is requested to decide on how US clearing-out on its old military bases is to be carried out, the only response from the US is that eye-catching signs boards be set up at dangerous sports by the Panamanian side. It goes without saying the US government should be told that it is its bounden duty to go for a thorough elimination of all possible perils and dangers that might happen to the Panamanian people from all old military bases of the US in Panama. Before it packs off home the US should meet the just demand for a thorough cleaning of the Panamanian land it has contaminated.
Opinion 1999-07-13 Page6
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