Japan rejects nuclear ban treaty; survivors to keep pushing

Tokyo, October 26

Japan mentioned on Monday it will not signal a UN treaty that bans nuclear weapons and didn’t welcome its entry into drive subsequent 12 months, rejecting the desires of atomic bomb survivors in Japan who had been urging the federal government to affix and work for a nuclear-free world.

The United Nations confirmed on Saturday that 50 nations have ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, paving the best way for its entry into drive in 90 days.

The announcement was hailed by anti-nuclear activists, however the treaty has been strongly opposed by the United States and different main nuclear powers.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato mentioned Japan shared the objective of attaining a nuclear-free world, however didn’t assume the treaty was the best way to go.

“Japan’s approach is different from that of the treaty, and there is no change to our position not to sign it, as we have said,” Kato advised reporters on Monday. “We doubt if help is rising even amongst non-nuclear weapons states, not to mention nuclear weapons states.”

Japan has mentioned that it was not reasonable to pursue the treaty with nuclear powers and non-nuclear weapons states sharply divided over it.

Kato mentioned Japan had chosen as an alternative to function a bridge to slender the hole between the 2 sides.

Asked if Japan at the least welcomes the treaty taking impact subsequent 12 months, Kato solely repeated Japan’s place.

Japan has determined to not signal the treaty despite the fact that it’s the world’s solely nation to have suffered nuclear assaults and has renounced its personal possession, manufacturing or internet hosting of nuclear weapons.

That is as a result of Japan hosts 50,000 American troops and is protected by the US nuclear umbrella. Its post-World War II safety pact with the US additionally complicates efforts to get Japan to signal the treaty because it beefs up its personal army to take care of perceived threats from North Korea and China.

“We must appropriately reply to the present safety threats, by sustaining or strengthening our deterrence. We must be reasonable about selling nuclear disarmament,” mentioned Kato.

Atomic bomb survivors, who’ve lengthy labored to realize the treaty, renewed their name for Japan to develop into a signatory. Terumi Tanaka, a survivor of the August 9, 1945, Nagasaki bombing who has lengthy campaigned for a nuclear weapons ban, mentioned he had not given up hope.

“It is the Japanese government that will be embarrassed when the treaty enters into effect,” Tanaka advised reporters on Monday.

“We will keep working to get the government to change its policy.”

The US had written to treaty signatories urging them to rescind their ratification, saying 4 different nuclear powers – Russia, China, Britain and France – and America’s NATO allies “stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions” of the treaty.

There are over 14,000 nuclear bombs on the planet, a lot of them tens of occasions extra highly effective than the weapons dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed greater than 210,000 folks within the closing days of World War II.

The treaty was accredited by the 193-member UN General Assembly in July, 2017, by a vote of 122 in favour.

The 5 nuclear powers and 4 different nations identified or believed to own nuclear weapons – India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel – boycotted negotiations and the vote on the treaty, together with a lot of their allies, together with Japan. AP