A-bomb survivors in Hiroshima denounce Japan-India civil nuclear agreement
Nov. 12, 2016
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On November 11, people in Hiroshima, the A-bombed city, raised their voices in protest over the conclusion of the civil nuclear agreement between Japan and India, saying that the agreement will set back efforts for realizing a world without nuclear weapons. They oppose the agreement because they argue that it could lead to further nuclear proliferation.
Kazuo Okoshi, 76, the secretary general of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hidankyo, chaired by Kunihiko Sakuma), said angrily, “The civil use and military use of nuclear energy are two sides of the same coin. I think it’s dangerous to sell nuclear power plant technology to a nation which wants to freely build up its nuclear arsenal. We don’t know whether or not this technology will be diverted, at any time, for this other purpose.”
India holds nuclear weapons without membership in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), which stipulates that member nations pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament. Although the nuclear agreement with India includes the restriction that Japan will suspend its cooperation if India resumes nuclear testing, Mr. Okoshi stressed, “I don’t think a restriction like this will prevent a nuclear nation like India from conducting nuclear tests. The only option is nuclear abolition.”
Toshiyuki Mimaki, 74, the vice chair of the other Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (chaired by Sunao Tsuboi), also expressed concern that this agreement could further weaken the NPT framework while North Korea carries out its own nuclear tests after declaring its withdrawal from the NPT. “As an A-bomb survivor, it’s very sad and distressing,” Mr. Mimaki said. He hopes that Japan and India will take part in multilateral negotiations for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, expected to start next March at the United Nations, to set a course for the abolition of these weapons.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui also released a statement on the nuclear agreement with India. On November 7, Mr. Matsui had asked in writing that the Japanese government put a halt to talks concerning the agreement. In his new statement, he urged the central government to consider the weight of protests from the A-bombed cities, which have been waged time after time, and take action to strengthen the NPT framework.
(Originally published on November 12, 2016)
On November 11, people in Hiroshima, the A-bombed city, raised their voices in protest over the conclusion of the civil nuclear agreement between Japan and India, saying that the agreement will set back efforts for realizing a world without nuclear weapons. They oppose the agreement because they argue that it could lead to further nuclear proliferation.
Kazuo Okoshi, 76, the secretary general of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hidankyo, chaired by Kunihiko Sakuma), said angrily, “The civil use and military use of nuclear energy are two sides of the same coin. I think it’s dangerous to sell nuclear power plant technology to a nation which wants to freely build up its nuclear arsenal. We don’t know whether or not this technology will be diverted, at any time, for this other purpose.”
India holds nuclear weapons without membership in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), which stipulates that member nations pursue negotiations for nuclear disarmament. Although the nuclear agreement with India includes the restriction that Japan will suspend its cooperation if India resumes nuclear testing, Mr. Okoshi stressed, “I don’t think a restriction like this will prevent a nuclear nation like India from conducting nuclear tests. The only option is nuclear abolition.”
Toshiyuki Mimaki, 74, the vice chair of the other Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (chaired by Sunao Tsuboi), also expressed concern that this agreement could further weaken the NPT framework while North Korea carries out its own nuclear tests after declaring its withdrawal from the NPT. “As an A-bomb survivor, it’s very sad and distressing,” Mr. Mimaki said. He hopes that Japan and India will take part in multilateral negotiations for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, expected to start next March at the United Nations, to set a course for the abolition of these weapons.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui also released a statement on the nuclear agreement with India. On November 7, Mr. Matsui had asked in writing that the Japanese government put a halt to talks concerning the agreement. In his new statement, he urged the central government to consider the weight of protests from the A-bombed cities, which have been waged time after time, and take action to strengthen the NPT framework.
(Originally published on November 12, 2016)
