July 7, 2009
Representatives of peace organizations and labor unions on July 6 made representations to the Foreign Ministry calling on Foreign Minister Nakasone Hirofumi to make public the text of the secret Japan-U.S. agreement allowing the bringing-in of nuclear weapons to Japan.
The Japan Peace Committee (JPC) and the Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) took this action following former vice foreign minister Murata Ryohei’s testimony regarding the Japan-U.S. secret agreement of 1960 giving U.S. Naval ships carrying nuclear weapons freedom to enter Japanese ports and navigate through Japan’s territorial waters.
Sato Mitsuo, JPC representative, confronted a foreign ministry officer in charge of security treaty affairs, saying, “The government supposedly abide by the national policy of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles; not to produce, possess, or allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan, and therefore must make public the whole truth regarding the secret agreement.”
A representative of the Japan Federation of National Service Employees warned that any public servants will be punished for betraying the public trust by condoning illegal acts.
A member of the All Japan Teachers and Staffs Union asked, “How can children accept such a double standard of the government on the nuclear weapons issue? They are taught at schools that Japan maintains the Three Non-nuclear Principles.”
The ministry official answered, “Both the foreign minister and the chief cabinet secretary have stated that no such secret agreement exists. This is clear from our investigation into the matter conducted in 1981. Therefore, there is no need to hear from Mr. Murata about it.”
JPC Secretary General Chisaka Jun stressed, “Recently, many new facts have been revealed one after another as counter evidence to the fidnings of the ministry research. If the ministry insists on continuing to hide the truth, it cannot convince the public that it can be trusted.”
Quoting U.S. President Obama in his Prague speech on nuclear weapons as saying, “The existence of thousands of nuclear weapons is the most dangerous legacy of the Cold War,” Yasui Masakazu, Gensuikyo vice secretary general, asked, “Why doesn’t the ministry consider reviewing the policy of relying on the U.S. nuclear umbrella over Japan?”
Chisaka argued, “Apparently, the government has been supporting the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan under the ‘nuclear umbrella’ pretext. This is why the government still denies the existence of the secret pact with the U.S.” - Akahata, July 7, 2009
Sato Mitsuo, JPC representative, confronted a foreign ministry officer in charge of security treaty affairs, saying, “The government supposedly abide by the national policy of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles; not to produce, possess, or allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan, and therefore must make public the whole truth regarding the secret agreement.”
A representative of the Japan Federation of National Service Employees warned that any public servants will be punished for betraying the public trust by condoning illegal acts.
A member of the All Japan Teachers and Staffs Union asked, “How can children accept such a double standard of the government on the nuclear weapons issue? They are taught at schools that Japan maintains the Three Non-nuclear Principles.”
The ministry official answered, “Both the foreign minister and the chief cabinet secretary have stated that no such secret agreement exists. This is clear from our investigation into the matter conducted in 1981. Therefore, there is no need to hear from Mr. Murata about it.”
JPC Secretary General Chisaka Jun stressed, “Recently, many new facts have been revealed one after another as counter evidence to the fidnings of the ministry research. If the ministry insists on continuing to hide the truth, it cannot convince the public that it can be trusted.”
Quoting U.S. President Obama in his Prague speech on nuclear weapons as saying, “The existence of thousands of nuclear weapons is the most dangerous legacy of the Cold War,” Yasui Masakazu, Gensuikyo vice secretary general, asked, “Why doesn’t the ministry consider reviewing the policy of relying on the U.S. nuclear umbrella over Japan?”
Chisaka argued, “Apparently, the government has been supporting the introduction of nuclear weapons into Japan under the ‘nuclear umbrella’ pretext. This is why the government still denies the existence of the secret pact with the U.S.” - Akahata, July 7, 2009
