Antinuclear peace organizations send letter calling on Japanese prime minister to support “no first use”
Jul. 28, 2016
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
On July 27, three antinuclear peace organizations, including the Japan Congress against A- and H-Bombs (Gensuikin), announced that they had sent a letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling on the Japanese government to support the policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons that U.S. President Barack Obama may be considering.
The letter said that some within the Japanese government opposed the policy, under which a state that possesses nuclear weapons would not use them as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary with nuclear weapons, because they contend it would weaken nuclear deterrence. The organizations called on the government to declare that Japan will never arm itself with nuclear weapons even if the United States adopts the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and to support measures to reduce the role of nuclear weapons including the policy of no first use.
At a press conference held at the Diet building, the three organizations said, “In America, there is concern that if the United States declares a policy of no first use, Japan will grow concerned and arm itself with nuclear weapons” and “The A-bombed nation should not hinder the momentum to reduce the risk posed by nuclear arms.”
On the same day, 14 prominent scholars and peace activists in the United States made a similar statement on the Web of the Union of Concerned Scientists, organized by American scientists. “In light of our unmatched conventional military capabilities, we do not need to rely on the threat of nuclear first use,” they said and called on Japan to support the policy of no first use.
(Originally published on July 28, 2016)
On July 27, three antinuclear peace organizations, including the Japan Congress against A- and H-Bombs (Gensuikin), announced that they had sent a letter to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling on the Japanese government to support the policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons that U.S. President Barack Obama may be considering.
The letter said that some within the Japanese government opposed the policy, under which a state that possesses nuclear weapons would not use them as a means of warfare unless first attacked by an adversary with nuclear weapons, because they contend it would weaken nuclear deterrence. The organizations called on the government to declare that Japan will never arm itself with nuclear weapons even if the United States adopts the policy of no first use of nuclear weapons and to support measures to reduce the role of nuclear weapons including the policy of no first use.
At a press conference held at the Diet building, the three organizations said, “In America, there is concern that if the United States declares a policy of no first use, Japan will grow concerned and arm itself with nuclear weapons” and “The A-bombed nation should not hinder the momentum to reduce the risk posed by nuclear arms.”
On the same day, 14 prominent scholars and peace activists in the United States made a similar statement on the Web of the Union of Concerned Scientists, organized by American scientists. “In light of our unmatched conventional military capabilities, we do not need to rely on the threat of nuclear first use,” they said and called on Japan to support the policy of no first use.
(Originally published on July 28, 2016)
