【アピール】原水爆禁止2008年世界大会の成功を
原爆投下から63年目の8月、原水爆禁止2008年世界大会が「核兵器のない平和で公正な世界を」をスローガンに、被爆地の広島・長崎で開かれます。ことしの世界大会は、2010年春の核不拡散条約(NPT)再検討会議にむけて、核兵器廃絶のための国際的な共同キャンペーンを発展させる跳躍台となることを期して開かれます。非核の日本、非核の政府を求める国民的な世論と運動の発展をめざすわが会は、非核平和を願う人々がこぞって広島・長崎に参集されるよう、心から呼びかけるものです。
非核・平和をめぐり、いま、世界に注目すべき変化が生まれています。昨秋の国連総会が、加盟国の圧倒的多数の賛成で核兵器関連の諸決議を可決したことは、「核兵器のない世界」を求める流れが世界の大勢であることを改めて示しました。またこの1年、元米政府高官４氏の共同論評をはじめ、核保有国の支配層内部から核兵器廃絶を訴える提唱がなされ、これに呼応する動きが世界各地で相次ぎました。わが国の原水爆禁止運動が訴え続けてきた非核・平和の世界を求める思潮は、世界の新たな層にも広がりつつあるのです。
同時に、核兵器がいまなお世界に2万7000基も配備・貯蔵され、人類の生存を脅かし続けていることを、私たちは片時も忘れてはなりません。核超大国アメリカのブッシュ政権は明らかに、「力の政策」の破綻をさらけだし、国内外で深刻な矛盾と政治的孤立に直面しています。にもかかわらず、同政権は、依然として核兵器を世界戦略の中心に据え、その危険な更新・強化政策を推進しています。
このとき、本来国際政治の舞台で核兵器廃絶の旗振り役を担うべき日本政府は、国連総会で非同盟諸国提案の核兵器廃絶決議等に棄権の立場をとるなど、国内外の期待に背を向け続けています。先のG8でも、日本は議長国でありながら、核保有国を前に、核兵器廃絶への意思を問うことさえしませんでした。その背景に、米国の核戦力を中心にした「拡大抑止」政策にたいする危険な迎合路線があることは明らかです。いま日本政府が選択すべきは、米国の「核の傘」から脱却し、唯一の被爆国として、米国をはじめ核保有国に堂々と核兵器廃絶を迫ることではないでしょうか。
原爆症認定問題ではこの間、画期的な成果が実現しました。集団訴訟でこの５月、仙台、大阪両高裁が、国側の控訴を棄却、原告全員を原爆症と認定する勝訴判決を相次いで下しました。被爆地の長崎地裁も6月、原告勝訴の判決を言い渡しました。これに先立ち日本被団協や集団訴訟原告団はついに、厚労省にたいし、認定申請却下の根拠としてきた「原因確率」を放棄させ、残留放射線の影響も認めさせました。しかし、政府は依然として、原爆症認定疾病を狭く限定するなど、被爆者に冷たい認定行政を根本から改めようとはしていません。いまこそ政府に、“原告全員の救済を”“被爆行政の抜本的見直しを”の声をさらに大きくつきつけようではありませんか。
ことしは、核兵器廃絶の実現を求める国際世論の発展にむけて歴史的な一石を投じた、第１回国連軍縮特別総会が開かれて30年、核不拡散条約の調印40周年にあたります。この節目の年に、改めて非核・平和の原点を想起し、2年後のNPT再検討会議にむけて、世界のNGOの共同の体制をさらに大きく築き、核兵器廃絶の確かなコースを切りひらこうではありませんか。原水爆禁止2008年世界大会を成功させ、核兵器も戦争もない平和で公正な世界の確立めざして、ともに力を合わせましょう。
2008年7月10日
非核の政府を求める会常任世話人会
【英文】
Association for a Non-Nuclear Government Shinanomachi Bld. #401, Shinanomachi 33, Shinjuku-ku Tokyo 160-0016, Japan Phone: +81-3-5367-5513; Fax: +81-3-3225-0920 E-mail: hikakunokai@pop21.odn.ne.jp
APPEAL FOR SUCCESSFUL 2008 WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST A & H BOMBS
In August, as we mark the 63rd anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the 2008 World Conference against A & H Bombs will be held in the two A-bombed cities under the slogan: “For a peaceful and just world free of nuclear weapons.” This year’s World Conference is to provide a springboard to the movement in preparation for the next Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010 to further develop international joint action to get nuclear weapons abolished.
Our Association, which is working to heighten public awareness and increase the nationwide movement calling for a non-nuclear Japan through establishing a government that rejects nuclear weapons, calls on all peace-loving people who wish to get the world free of nuclear weapons to assemble in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Noteworthy changes are taking place in the world regarding the effort to achieve a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons. The United Nations General Assembly last autumn adopted resolutions related to nuclear disarmament by overwhelming majority votes. This is another proof of the fact that the calls for a world without nuclear weapons are forming the world’s main current. During the past year, four former senior US government officials published their joint articles calling for a nuclear-free world, and calls for the abolition of nuclear weapons have been heard even from within the ruling circles of nuclear powers. Moves to respond to these initiatives have taken place in various parts of the world. The current of thought toward a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons, which has been called for by the Japanese Movement against A & H Bombs, is being embraced by wider sectors throughout the world.
At the same time, however, we must not forget even for a moment the fact that more than 26,000 nuclear weapons deployed or stockpiled in the world are threatening the survival of humanity. Clearly, the US Bush administration representing the only remaining superpower has exposed its failure of the policy of strength. It is faced with sharp contradictions and deep political isolation domestically as well as internationally. Nevertheless, the Bush administration maintains its nuclear arsenals as the main component of global strategy to promote its dangerous updates and reinforcements.
Under these circumstances, the Japanese government, which should take the lead in international political arena in calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, goes against expectations at home and internationally by such action as abstaining from voting on resolutions demanding that nuclear weapons be abolished. In the recent Group of Eight (G8) summit, Japan was the chairman, but it did not even ask nuclear powers to show their intention to eliminate their nuclear weapons. This is undoubtedly due to Japan’s dangerous policy of accommodating itself to the expanded deterrence approach adopted by the United States relying mainly on nuclear forces. The task now is for the Japanese government to opt to break away from US nuclear umbrella in order to fulfill its responsibility as the government of the only atomic-bombed country by pressing the United States and other nuclear weapons possessing countries to give up their nuclear weapons.
On the issue of certification of Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki) as suffering from illnesses caused by exposure to atomic-bomb radiation, the movement has achieved an epoch-making result. In the concerted lawsuits filed by Hibakusha against the state, the Sendai and Osaka high courts in May rejected the state’s appeal against lower court decisions and recognized all the plaintiffs as Hibakusha suffering from illnesses caused by A-bomb radiation exposure. In June, the Nagasaki District Court gave a ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. In advance of these rulings, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and the plaintiffs’ group succeeded in having the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare give up on relying on the so-called “probability of causing A-bomb diseases” used as rationale for rejecting certification and recognize the effect of residual radiation as a cause. Nevertheless, the government still tries to narrow the range of diseases that should be recognized as caused by exposure to atomic bomb radiation. It still has no intention of improving the certification administration that is cold to Hibakusha. Now is the time to demand that the government relieve all plaintiffs and fundamentally review the administration for atomic-bomb survivors.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first UN General Assembly special session devoted to nuclear disarmament, which became a milestone toward the growth of international opinion calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. It is also the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Let us reconfirm the starting point of the movement for a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons, build an even larger cooperation by NGOs in preparation for the next NPT Review Conference to be held in two years, and pave the reliable way for getting nuclear weapons abolished. Let us make a success of the 2008 World Conference against A & H Bombs and join forces to achieve an equitable and peaceful world without nuclear weapons and war. # # # |
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