We condemn North Korean government for conducting an “underground nuclear test”.

On the morning of 9th October North Korean official Korean Central News Agency announced it had “safely and successfully conducted an underground nuclear test.” Japanese government is now moving quickly to confirm the facts concerning the test. If the test actually was conducted, it is a critical question that we cannot disregard as a trade union who has promoted anti-war peace movement here in Japan which experienced devastation caused by two atomic bombs.

The direct reason of this test is said as U.S. sanctions against North Korea and its economic blockage. However, nuclear test, as the means to solve a problem wielding the nuclear threat, can not be allowed for any reason. Of course it is needless to say that U.S. policy toward North Korea cannot be accepted from a humanitarian standpoint.

New Prime Minister Abe ordered the government to discuss the imposition of additional economic sanctions and to accelerate negotiation for seeking UNSC resolution. He was reported to say “Japan will stay in close contact with the United States and promote Japan-U.S. defense cooperation including missile defense in order to further improve reliability of deterrence by U.S.-Japan alliance.” It is a start of negative linkage to meet nuclear threat with nuclear threat in the situation that almost all the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council possess their own nukes. The thing that Japan should do as an A-bomb victim and a country having the peace Constitution is to advocate strongly for nuclear abolition   on the earth. We don’t need nuclear weapons for creating a really peaceful world. “Will nuclear weapons wipe out human race?” or “Can mankind extinguish nuclear weapons?” That is the question.

JRU strongly condemns North Korea for developing nuclear weapons and conducting its test. We also consistently oppose nuclearization and nuclear weapons development of any country. We urge all groups and trade unions who desire peace to gather together!

10th October, 2006 Yuji Oda President, Japan Confederation of Railway Workers’ Unions (JRU)

Yuji Oda
President, Japan Confederation of Railway Workers’ Union