For over half a century, human beings have been yearning for the elimination of nuclear weapons. All over the world people from all walks of life have been striving for this cause.
The nuclear weapon test conducted by North Korea on 9 October 2006 was a crushing blow to humanity's fervent hope, held ever since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
We realize that there are already many countries which possess nuclear weapons. We also realize that there are people who recite the mantra of "peaceful use" to promote nuclear energy for the generation of electric power. Furthermore, we know very well that some people are in a great rush to extract plutonium from spent nuclear fuel at the huge Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant in Aomori Prefecture. However, depending on the circumstances, plutonium may at any time be turned into nuclear weapons.
We believe that nuclear weapons are the flip side of the "peaceful use" of nuclear energy. Unless the path to nuclear weapons (including the precursors to nuclear weapons) is absolutely prohibited, the world will be unable to achieve permanent peace.
We strongly protest North Korea's nuclear weapon test. It is necessary to remind ourselves that human beings and nuclear energy, "peaceful" or otherwise, cannot coexist.
Yukio Yamaguchi
Co-Director
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
