Gensuikyo urges new government to show initiative for abolishing nuclear weapons

Japan Press Weekly

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Gensuikyo urges new government to show initiative for abolishing nuclear weapons

The Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) has urged the new Japanese government to display its initiative at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly and the 2010 NPT Review Conference to totally eliminate nuclear weapons.

Japan Gensuikyo representatives on September 17 visited the Foreign Ministry and delivered letters addressed to Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio and Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya.

The letter states, "Japan, the only atomic bombed country must take on the role and responsibility to lead in the international efforts to make damages from the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki known to the world and get nuclear weapons abolished."

Gensuikyo asserts that the Japanese government at the upcoming U.N. Security Council meeting and General Assembly should: (1) call on the U.N. and all its member countries to address the total prohibition of nuclear weapons as the most pressing task and confirm it as a consensus of the international community; and (2) use the prime minister's speech at the UNGA to declare that Japan maintains the Three Non-nuclear Principles (not to possess, manufacturer, or allow the entry into Japan of nuclear weapons) as a national policy.

At the Foreign Ministry, Taka Hiroshi, Gensuikyo secretary general, requested that the government implement the agreement confirmed at its start that it will "take a lead in the efforts to achieve nuclear disarmament and the abolition of nuclear weapons and get international talks for totally banning nuclear weapons started.

The Foreign Ministry official in charge of arms control and disarmament affairs said that Prime Minister Hatoyama Yukio will attend the U.N. Security Council summit and Foreign Minister Okada Katsuya will attend the international meeting to have the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-ban Treaty come into force. He said they will be able to speak on behalf of the only atomic bombed country.

When the Foreign Ministry official said, "Carrying out individual disarmament measures is important," Taka in response said, "Individual measures alone cannot lead to the abolition of nuclear weapons. Demanding the total elimination of nuclear weapons is essential," and reiterated the Gensuikyo call for the immediate start of negotiations aimed at a total ban on nuclear weapons.

- Akahata, September 18, 2009