Japanese government’s decision casts a chill over anti-nuclear movement
May 7, 2013
Japan has refused to back the joint statement on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons that was presented on April 24 at the Second Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, now being held in Geneva, Switzerland. The decision highlighted the contradictions in the “non-nuclear diplomacy” of the A-bombed nation and cast a chill over recent momentum in the nuclear abolition movement. At the same time, it betrayed the hopes of the A-bomb survivors, who seek the elimination of nuclear weapons at the earliest possible date.
On April 25, one day after the statement was announced, Mari Amano, the Ambassador of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, addressed the preparatory committee, stating, “Taking our national security environment into consideration, we refrained from joining the statement.”
Criticism from home and abroad
Despite the criticism that would surely come from inside and outside Japan, the Japanese government remained preoccupied with the U.S. nuclear umbrella. The language “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances”--wording that would bind the use of nuclear arms--was considered incompatible with the nuclear umbrella. Japan had urged that the phrase “under any circumstances” be omitted from the statement.
Hitotomo Taniuchi, the deputy director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, stressed, “The reality is, given the fact that Japan is located near Russia and China, both nuclear powers, as well as North Korea, which has repeatedly carried out nuclear tests, we have no choice but to rely on the nuclear umbrella.”
However, Akira Kawasaki, co-chairperson of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which led a protest against the Japanese government in Geneva, criticized the stance of the Japanese government, saying, “The government prioritized aging security logic over nuclear abolition.”
On the day the statement was announced, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, in Tokyo, said with some anxiety: “I wonder whether or not others understand Japan’s position. Our stance, and the stance expressed in the statement, are identical.” Mr. Kishida, whose electoral district includes the A-bombed city, was guiding the negotiations for revising the statement with Mr. Amano and others.
Japan is “contradicting itself”
South Africa and Switzerland, the nations which drafted the statement, had sought to gain Japan’s backing as the only A-bombed nation, but the differences between the two sides could not be overcome. Unable to hide his dismay, a South African official said, “I realize that Japan is grappling with the North Korean issue, but the outcome is disappointing because Japan knows the horror of nuclear weapons more keenly than anyone.”
On April 25, one day after the statement was announced, Foreign Minister Kishida conveyed chagrin, saying, “Many nations are involved and I regret that we weren’t able to modify the statement. I would like to be proactive in making efforts to join a similar statement in the future.”
In Hiroshima, there has been a wave of disappointment and anger. Sunao Tsuboi, 87, the chairman of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, denounced the decision, saying, “It’s outrageous. It’s the result of obsessing over old ties between Japan and the United States.” Yukio Yoshioka, 83, the vice chairman of the second faction of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, chaired by Kazushi Kaneko, spoke forcefully: “This throws cold water on moves to advance the abolition of nuclear weapons. Japan cannot avoid facing criticism from the international community.”
Kazumi Mizumoto, the vice president of the Hiroshima Peace Institute at Hiroshima City University and an expert on nuclear disarmament, said, “Japan should have joined the statement to demonstrate its stance of seeking nuclear disarmament, including reducing the role of the nuclear umbrella.” He added, “It’s wrong if Japan withholds its support out of deference to the United States. Japan is contradicting itself when it cannot call nuclear weapons inhumane.”
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
GENEVA---On April 25, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui addressed a meeting organized by an NGO on the theme of the denuclearization of Northeast Asia. After completing his four-day schedule in Switzerland, Mr. Matsui flew back to Japan.
During his stay in Geneva, from April 22 to 25, Mr. Matsui spoke with senior U.N. officials and ambassadors from more than ten nations. “I was able to convey the thoughts of the A-bombed city to many people,” the mayor said. But he expressed renewed dissatisfaction over the fact that Japan did not lend its support to the joint statement against the use of nuclear weapons, saying, “Hiroshima, which has long appealed for eliminating the absolute evil of nuclear weapons, cannot at all be persuaded of the government’s position.”
Referring to North Korean nuclear ambitions in his address, Mr. Matsui stressed, “As we are now facing a tense time, as the mayor of Hiroshima, I am determined to speak out. Nuclear weapons are the most inhumane weapons of all. I hope that people everywhere, from the bottom of their hearts, will share the spirit of the A-bomb survivors.”
On the evening of April 24, Geneva time, Mr. Matsui handed roughly 260,000 signatures urging the early realization of a nuclear weapons convention to Cornel Feruta, the chair of the Second Preparatory Committee. Mr. Matsui performed this task on behalf of Mayors for Peace, for which he serves as president. Mr. Feruta responded, “I value the sentiments of the people who gave their signatures, and will seek to have my work as chair reflect their wishes.”
Caption Mari Amano (left end), the Ambassador of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, speaks with members of the South African delegation prior to the presentation of the joint statement.
(Originally published on April 26, 2013)
On April 25, one day after the statement was announced, Mari Amano, the Ambassador of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, addressed the preparatory committee, stating, “Taking our national security environment into consideration, we refrained from joining the statement.”
Criticism from home and abroad
Despite the criticism that would surely come from inside and outside Japan, the Japanese government remained preoccupied with the U.S. nuclear umbrella. The language “It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances”--wording that would bind the use of nuclear arms--was considered incompatible with the nuclear umbrella. Japan had urged that the phrase “under any circumstances” be omitted from the statement.
Hitotomo Taniuchi, the deputy director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, stressed, “The reality is, given the fact that Japan is located near Russia and China, both nuclear powers, as well as North Korea, which has repeatedly carried out nuclear tests, we have no choice but to rely on the nuclear umbrella.”
However, Akira Kawasaki, co-chairperson of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which led a protest against the Japanese government in Geneva, criticized the stance of the Japanese government, saying, “The government prioritized aging security logic over nuclear abolition.”
On the day the statement was announced, Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, in Tokyo, said with some anxiety: “I wonder whether or not others understand Japan’s position. Our stance, and the stance expressed in the statement, are identical.” Mr. Kishida, whose electoral district includes the A-bombed city, was guiding the negotiations for revising the statement with Mr. Amano and others.
Japan is “contradicting itself”
South Africa and Switzerland, the nations which drafted the statement, had sought to gain Japan’s backing as the only A-bombed nation, but the differences between the two sides could not be overcome. Unable to hide his dismay, a South African official said, “I realize that Japan is grappling with the North Korean issue, but the outcome is disappointing because Japan knows the horror of nuclear weapons more keenly than anyone.”
On April 25, one day after the statement was announced, Foreign Minister Kishida conveyed chagrin, saying, “Many nations are involved and I regret that we weren’t able to modify the statement. I would like to be proactive in making efforts to join a similar statement in the future.”
In Hiroshima, there has been a wave of disappointment and anger. Sunao Tsuboi, 87, the chairman of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, denounced the decision, saying, “It’s outrageous. It’s the result of obsessing over old ties between Japan and the United States.” Yukio Yoshioka, 83, the vice chairman of the second faction of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations, chaired by Kazushi Kaneko, spoke forcefully: “This throws cold water on moves to advance the abolition of nuclear weapons. Japan cannot avoid facing criticism from the international community.”
Kazumi Mizumoto, the vice president of the Hiroshima Peace Institute at Hiroshima City University and an expert on nuclear disarmament, said, “Japan should have joined the statement to demonstrate its stance of seeking nuclear disarmament, including reducing the role of the nuclear umbrella.” He added, “It’s wrong if Japan withholds its support out of deference to the United States. Japan is contradicting itself when it cannot call nuclear weapons inhumane.”
Hiroshima mayor urges others to “share the spirit of the A-bomb survivors”
by Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writer
GENEVA---On April 25, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui addressed a meeting organized by an NGO on the theme of the denuclearization of Northeast Asia. After completing his four-day schedule in Switzerland, Mr. Matsui flew back to Japan.
During his stay in Geneva, from April 22 to 25, Mr. Matsui spoke with senior U.N. officials and ambassadors from more than ten nations. “I was able to convey the thoughts of the A-bombed city to many people,” the mayor said. But he expressed renewed dissatisfaction over the fact that Japan did not lend its support to the joint statement against the use of nuclear weapons, saying, “Hiroshima, which has long appealed for eliminating the absolute evil of nuclear weapons, cannot at all be persuaded of the government’s position.”
Referring to North Korean nuclear ambitions in his address, Mr. Matsui stressed, “As we are now facing a tense time, as the mayor of Hiroshima, I am determined to speak out. Nuclear weapons are the most inhumane weapons of all. I hope that people everywhere, from the bottom of their hearts, will share the spirit of the A-bomb survivors.”
On the evening of April 24, Geneva time, Mr. Matsui handed roughly 260,000 signatures urging the early realization of a nuclear weapons convention to Cornel Feruta, the chair of the Second Preparatory Committee. Mr. Matsui performed this task on behalf of Mayors for Peace, for which he serves as president. Mr. Feruta responded, “I value the sentiments of the people who gave their signatures, and will seek to have my work as chair reflect their wishes.”
Caption Mari Amano (left end), the Ambassador of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, speaks with members of the South African delegation prior to the presentation of the joint statement.
(Originally published on April 26, 2013)
