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Statements Archive |
LAST UPDATE October
9, 2006 |
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| October 9, 2006 |
Peace Boat Emergency Statement in Protest at the
North Korean Nuclear Tests and a Call for Immediate Dialogue |
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1. On the morning of October 9, the
government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced that
they had carried out a nuclear test. We protest strongly against this. Nuclear
tests threaten the lives of all inhabitants of the surrounding area, and nuclear
development will aggravate the hunger, poverty and suppression of human rights
of the people of the DPRK. The possession of nuclear weapons poses a serious threat
to the Korean Peninsula, Japan, East Asia and to the entire world. We call strongly
for the DPRK government to immediately cease all further nuclear testing and development
of nuclear weapons, and to take prompt action towards the complete abandonment
of nuclear weapons programs.
2. The failure of the Bush administration's antagonistic diplomatic policy is
clear, in that statements that the DPRK is part of the 'axis of evil' and continuing
policies of military and economic pressure have only escalated tensions and led
to the DPRK's conducting nuclear weapons tests. Pressure without dialogue cannot
lead to any form of resolution. Any military response or pressure will only exacerbate
the nuclear crisis and could trigger an armed confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.
Now more than ever, we believe that a fundamental change in the hostile policies
towards the DPRK is necessary.
3. Each country's government must undertake immediate diplomacy directed towards
dialogue with the DPRK in order to resolve the current crisis peacefully. This
dialogue should be based on the comprehensive framework provided by the Six-Party
Joint Statement of September 2005, in which the DPRK committed to abandon its
nuclear program, and Japan and the US committed to guarantee the DPRK's security
and make efforts toward normalization of diplomatic relations and economic cooperation.
The six governments must immediately use all possible means to hold high-level
dialogue with the DPRK, such as convening an emergency Six-Party Summit and/or
proceeding with direct bilateral dialogue. The same principles must also be applied
from now in the UN Security Council's deliberations.
4. Based on the terrible suffering of humanity in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we seek
anew for the urgent and total abolition of nuclear weapons. We are certain that
the hibakusha (atomic bombing survivors) of the Korean Peninsula who still suffer
from the effects of the atomic bomb share the same wish. Nuclear-weapon states,
including the US in particular, have not complied with the international agreements
made in good faith that they would pursue and conclude nuclear disarmament negotiations.
We call for all nuclear-weapon states to take concrete action towards the abolition
of nuclear weapons and also for an immediate commencement of negotiations for
a Nuclear Weapons Convention to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons. We strongly
oppose any attempts by Japan or other neighboring countries to use the DPRK's
nuclear test as an excuse to develop their own nuclear armaments.
5. The Korean nuclear crisis is an expression of the Cold War structures of Northeast
Asia, as symbolized by the North/South division of Korea. The nuclear crisis shares
the same roots as unresolved issues such as Japan's war responsibility and the
abductions under the Cold War structures. The vacuum left by the lack of normalization
of diplomatic relations between Japan and DPRK has also contributed to the current
situation. A broad approach on both governmental and civil society levels to create
a cooperative peace framework through thawing the Cold War structures of the region
is essential to achieve a real resolution of the nuclear crisis. To realize such
a situation, we commit ourselves to unite and take positive actions together with
the citizens and NGOs of the Korean Peninsula and all of Northeast Asia.
October 9, 2006
Peace Boat
Executive Committee Members: Kawasaki Akira, Kushibuchi Mari, Yoshioka Tatsuya
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