Japan Gensuikyo's message distributed at non-aligned summit

The Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) had its message read by participants in the 13th Non-aligned Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Invited for the first time to the Summit as a guest organization, Japan Gensuikyo submitted the message to the Summit secretariat. Copies of the message were distributed to conference delegates.

Japan Gensuikyo's cooperation with non-aligned countries in the movement to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons began in the late 20th century. The recent summit testified to the growing cooperation between Gensuikyo and the non-aligned movement in the effort to get nuclear weapons abolished.

The text of the message is as follows:

Distinguished leaders,

On the occasion of the 13th Summit Conference of the Non-aligned Movement, we extend to you, the heads of State or Government of Malaysia, the host country of the conference, and the other NAM member countries, our cordial greetings of solidarity from the movement against atomic and hydrogen bombs in Japan, the only atomic-bombed country in the world. Opposing the division of the world into military blocs, the non-aligned movement has promoted non-alignment, disarmament and peace, national independence and sovereignty and the establishment of a more just economic order, and is continuing to play a unique role in resolving the issues facing the 21st century world. We wish the 13th NAM Summit every success in reaching the goals of your movement.

At this juncture, when your Summit is meeting, the world is facing a serious tension centering on the Iraq issue. The move to cling to the use of force, launch a preemptive attack, and even resort to nuclear weapons as a "possible option" is causing serious international concern. As is well known, the United Nations, founded after the two world wars, with the mission to "save succeeding generations from the scourge of war", takes it as a principle to resolve international disputes by peaceful means, except in extreme cases where an external aggression is being conducted, thus strictly limiting the use of force. If this rule is violated by any military power or a group of such powers, the authority of the United Nations and its Charter will be seriously undermined.

In the current development, NAM and its members are playing a prominent role in resolving the problem peacefully and properly reflecting the will of the UN member states. Your initiative for the Security Council to convene open hearings was a typical example. The voices and actions of people all around the world working for peace confirm that the effort for peaceful resolution of disputes based on the UN Charter represents the direction that should govern international relations in the 21st century. We sincerely hope that you will continue taking the lead in preventing the use of force and ensuring a peaceful resolution of the issue through continued and reinforced inspections and within the UN framework. We also urge the Iraqi Government to fully cooperate with the UN in terms of liquidation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the verification process.

In August 1945, two atomic bombs, which were small and primitive compared with today's nuclear weapons, claimed the lives of some 150,000 people in Hiroshima and about 70,000 in Nagasaki by the end of the year. The two cities were completely destroyed, and many of those who survived the bombings are still suffering from their after-effects. The calamities and the agony of the Hibakusha, the A-bomb sufferers, are evidence of the inhuman nature of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons must be eliminated. Nonetheless, on the ground to counter "terrorism and the proliferation of WMD", the United States is adopting even such a nuclear posture that assumes to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states. It also suggests that it will develop new nuclear weapons and resume underground testing.

On May 2000, mounting international pressure calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons found its expression. The NPT Review Conference published a final document which included an "unequivocal undertaking" of the five nuclear powers to "accomplish complete elimination of their nuclear arsenals". The surest way to root out the danger of nuclear proliferation is to conclude a treaty totally banning and eliminating nuclear weapons. To reach this goal, negotiations for the abolition of nuclear weapons should start without delay, and all plans for development, testing or actual use of nuclear weapons should be abandoned. We welcome the initiatives taken by non-aligned countries intended to reach these goals. We hope that every effort will be made to further strengthen the drive for the elimination of nuclear weapons in international politics.

With the passing of over 57 years since the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the demand for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons now represents the will of the overwhelming majority of humanity. On the basis of the tragic experience of the two cities, the Japanese movement against A and H bombs has set three goals for the movement: 1) Prevent nuclear war, 2) Totally ban and eliminate nuclear weapons, and 3) Relief and solidarity with the A-bomb sufferers, to share with the whole world. In cooperation with other antinuclear and nuclear sufferers' movements around the world, it has also sponsored the World Conference against A and H Bombs every year in the two victim cities since 1955. We are deeply grateful for the active participation of representatives from the Malaysian and other governments in NAM, ASEAN and the New Agenda Coalition, as well as the messages from their heads of state received at the conference. We believe that the cooperation between governments and NGOs is ever more important in the common pursuit of peace and a nuclear weapon-free world. With great pleasure, we inform you that the 2003 World Conference against A and H Bombs will take place on Aug. 3-9 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We sincerely hope that the conference will enjoy the continued support and cooperation from you and your governments.

We express our gratitude for the invitation that enables us to be present as a guest organization in your Summit, and wish you every success in the conference. (end)