Solve the Crisis Peacefully,
Work towards a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Northeast Asia

We, the undersigned, are deeply concerned about the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. We? welcome the planned resumption of the Six-Party Talks, which should provide a common platform for the States concerned to realize an immediate, and peaceful and irreversible resolution to the crisis.

Any solution to the crisis should be brought about through simultaneous actions of the parties, namely the DPRK's complete dismantlement of its any nuclear weapons' program and its return to the NPT regime on the one hand, and together with the abandonment by the United States of its hostile policy against the DPRK, including a security assurance. Governments engaged in the Six-Party Talks should promote dialogue and in a cooperation ve manner by providing mutual incentives to achieve a win-win solution, and should refrain from any actions which would harm peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and would undermine the conditions for a productive negotiation among the parties.

Peaceful resolution through dialogue should be the a fundamental principle in solving this crisis. We denounce any threat or exercise of military options by States concerned. TAlso, the 1992 Joint Declaration for Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula provides an agreed , in particular, should be the basis for developing a nuclear-weapon-free Korean Peninsula. through its full implementation by the States concerned. We are committed to strengthen our efforts to work towards a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Northeast Asia. The denuclearization of the Korean ppeninsula is an essential element solid foundation for creation of such aa nuclear-weapon-free zone in Northeast Asia.

The current nuclear crisis on the Peninsula should also be understood as a symptom of the Cold War structures that remainprevail in Northeast Asia. It is thus essential to evolve beyond these structures by normalization of the relations between the DPRK and the US and between the DPRK and Japan, and by developing cooperation among all States in the region based on mutual trust. All those factors which pose nuclear and military threats in the region, including the United States' nuclear and military strategies and the nuclear weapon dependent security policies, should be seriously addressed and replaced by coordinated disarmament and demilitarization actions throughout the region. In this context, steps must be taken to curb Japanese militarization and to protect Article 9 of Japan's Constitution.

We, the citizens concerned citizens, hereby declare our intention to launch a Civil Society Forum in parallel to the Six-Party Talks where we will pursue innovative and flexible approaches that are needed for towards the realization of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Northeast Asia. Making substantial progress in Northeast Asia to disengage the deadlock would provide momentum for disarmament and promotion of security in other regions in the world, namely the Middle East and South Asia. The development of nuclear weapon free zones in these troubled regions would provide a breakthrough for the current impasse of the worldwide nuclear non-proliferation regime.

As 2005 marks the 60th anniversary since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is essential to remember the inherently inhumane nature of nuclear weapons. We must de-legitimize nuclear weapons, and recognize that any policies dependent on such weapons of non-discriminatory mass massacre are immoral, irresponsible, impractical and illegal. We reaffirm our commitment to take the lead in the international community towards achieving that goal.

Signatoriess (As of July 20, 2005)
* Affiliation appears for identification purposes only.

• Jacqueline CABASSO (Western States Legal Foundation; / Abolition 2000; / United for Peace and Justice, USA)
• CHOI Ki-Ja (The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, ROK)
• CHUNG Ju-Jin (World Vision Asia Pacific, ROK)
• ENKHSAIKHAN Jargalsaikhan (Institute for Strategic Studies of Mongolia, Mongolia)
• Amy FINNEGAN (NGO Committee on Disarmament, USA)
• Vadim GAPONENKO (International Research Centre, Maritime State University, Russia)
• JANG Jeom-dol (The Korean Council for the Women Drafted for Military Sexual Slavery by Japan, ROK)
• JUNG Gyung-Lan (Women Making Peace, ROK)
• Valerie KAO (NGO Committee on Disarmament, USA)
• KAWASAKI Akira (Peace Boat, Japan)
• KIMIJIMA Akihiko (Nonviolent Peaceforce / Ritsumeikan University, Japan)
• KODAMA Katsuya (Mie University, Japan)
• LEE Hyun-Sook (Korean Red Cross, ROK)
• Kathy MATSUI (Global Campaign for Peace Education, Japan)
• NIU Qiang (Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament, China)
• SHEN Dingli (Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, China)
• SHIM Young-Hee (Women Making Peace, ROK)
• YANG Mi-Kang (Asia Peace and History Education Network, ROK)
• YOSHIOKA Tatsuya (Peace Boat, Japan)

Contact:
Akira Kawasaki
Peace Boat
E-mail kawasaki[a]peaceboat.gr.jp