Abolition 2000 US-India Working Group
Press Release
(19 August 2008)
US-India Nuclear Agreement
Japanese NGOs submit demands to Parliamentary Vice-Minister Nishimura
Members of Japanese NGOs today submitted demands to Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Yasutoshi Nishimura, concerning the US-India Nuclear Agreement. They personally handed Mr Nishimura an international letter, signed by over 160 individuals and NGOs from 24 countries, which was faxed to the Foreign Minister Masahiko Koumura on August 15. In addition, representatives of Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hidankyo) and Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Gensuikyo) submitted separate demands.
They all called on the Japanese government to clearly state its opposition to a proposed amendment that would exempt India from longstanding global nuclear trade standards. The export guidelines of the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) currently preclude nuclear trade with India, which detonated nuclear devices in 1974 and 1998 and refuses to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).
The groups requested Nishimura to respond to a report by Kyodo News claiming that the Japanese government has decided that it "will not stand in the way of revising the guidelines at the upcoming NSG extraordinary plenary meeting (in Vienna)." Nishimura stated that the Japanese government has not made a decision and that the matter is still under consideration.
Nishimura said that the Japanese government will continue to press India to join the NPT and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The NGOs objected to the implication that the Japanese government would not make India's participation in nuclear trade conditional upon joining the NPT and CTBT. They added that no change was warranted to the NSG rules, which preclude nuclear trade with countries which have not accepted full-scope safeguards by the International Atomic Energy Agency on all nuclear facilities. They said there was no reason to rush to such an important decision just to fit in with US and Indian political time tables.
NGO Participants in the meeting
Masayoshi Naito, Citizens' Network for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (Tokyo)
Yukio Yamaguchi and Philip White, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
Terumi Tanaka, Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hidankyo)
Hidemichi Kano, Japan Congress against A & H Bombs (Gensuikin)
Yayoi Tsuchida, Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Gensuikyo)
Osamu Niikura, Japanese Lawyers International Solidarity Association
Hiromichi Umebayashi, Peace Depot
Eiko Kataoka, Women's Democratic Club
Contact:
Philip White +81-3-3557-3800
International Liaison Officer, Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
