It is the 74^th year of the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is eight and a half years since the Fukushima’s nuclear power plant accidents. Japan has experienced historic lessons from these incidents which accompanied terrific sacrifices. The country should have a great role to play in the world to solve the nuclear issues, but….

GOVERNMENT MUST CHANGE POLICY TO ELIMINATING NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND ABANDONING POWER GENERATION

The world goes toward a world without nuclear arms and intends to give up power generation

The international community prohibits menacing a third country with nuclear weapons and seeks abolition of the arsenal. In the same way the world seeks to change current energy polices that depend on nuclear power generation.

Japan, as a nation which has experienced atomic bombings, has responsibilities to enhance the world’s trend. To this aim it is necessary to boldly change diplomatic and national security policies to convey right messages to the rest of the world.

Unfortunately enough, however, the Abe government has kept neglecting the duties and its role. It depends on the US nuclear arms, builds up military strength and coercively implements nuclear power generation policy by restarting the suspended nuclear power plants.

Currently the world faces three tasks concerning the nuclear issues: denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, making effective the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and a peaceful settlement of the Iran nuclear deal, JCPOA (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).

Nuclear issue on Korean Peninsula

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula has become realistic when the summit talks between the United States and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) began, but the former demands the latter unilateral concession, thus no exit is seen. As for Japan’s policy toward DPRK, it has solely engaged in sanctions and pressures in the context of nuclear arms, missiles and the abduction of Japanese citizens.

But, abruptly, the Abe government has converted to an unconditional dialogue policy toward DPRK. Maybe it attempts not to be behind the changing situations.

What the Abe government should do is to return and begin with the Pyongyang Declaration between Japan and DPRK concluded September 2002, to finish discriminative policies imposed on Korean schools in Japan, and work concretely to normalize the diplomatic relations with the neighbor.

UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The treaty was adopted in July, 2017, at the United Nations by 122 nations, but Japan opposed. Furthermore the Japanese government expressed not to participate in the negotiation talks to implement the agreement concretely. The stance must not be taken by a country which has experiences of atomic bombings. The Japanese government must ratify the UN treaty immediately.

Iran nuclear deal

With regard to the accord, uncertainties and tensions are produced today in the international community. Iran and six countries, which are the five UN permanent members of Security Council, namely, US, Russia, UK, France and China, plus Germany, together with the European Union, concluded in 2015 an agreement on the nuclear program of Iran. But the US government unilaterally withdrew from the treaty in May, 2018, and has been pressurizing the Middle-east nation, imposing oil export sanctions and deploying the aircraft carrier strike group in the Gulf region.

In June this year commercial oil tankers were attacked by explosives, one of which was operated by a Japanese company. Iran and the UK mutually seized tankers. While Iran began to enrich uranium beyond the agreed limit, the US tries to organize coalition of military allies. The latter heightens tensions, requesting, for instance, the Japanese government to align with the initiative.

What the Abe government should do is to make diplomatic efforts so that the Trump administration may back to the Iran deal. To participate in the coalition of the willing is beside the point. The Abe government should sincerely listen to voices of Hibakushas, or atomic-bombed victims, nuclear disaster-hit people and citizens of the world demanding elimination of nuclear arms and an end of nuclear power generation.

August 6, 2019