Government official avows review of 3 Non-nuclear Principles

A senior Japanese government official on May 31 openly called for the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, Japan's "national policy," to be reviewed.

The senior official stated that the Three Non-nuclear Principles, which are almost in line with the Constitution, can be changed in accordance with future changes in the internatioal situation or if public opinion becomes in favor of nuclear weapons.

At a news conference on the same day, Fukuda Yasuo, Chief Cabinet Secretary, maintained that legally Japan can posess small nuclear bombs.

He was commentiong on Vice Chief Cabinet Secretary Abe Shinzo's view that it is not unconstitutional for Japan to possess inter-continental ballistic missiles. Abe stated this view in his speech at Waseda University in Tokyo on May 13.

Under the Three Non-nuclear Principles, Japan is not to possess, manufacture, or allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan.

These principles were first put forward by Prime Minister Sato Eisaku in his parliamentary statement in December 1967 in connection with preparations for the return of the administrative rights over Okinawa to Japan. At the time, there was strong public opposition to the posible introduction of nuclear weapons into mainland Japan from U.S. military bases in Okinawa.

The House of Representatives plenary session adopted this policy in 1972 when Okinawa was finally returned to Japan.

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Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on May 31 comments on the government official's statement as follows:

The major current of the world is that nuclear weapons must be eliminated immediately within a set time frame. Going against this, a government official of Japan, the only atomic-bombed country, has publicly stated that Japan's posession of nuclear weapons is constitutional. In no sense can we tolerate such a view.

This is a very serious matter that runs counter to the world call for the elimination of nuclear weapons. In the present parliamentary session which will resume next week, we will raise this issue as a question that has an important bearing on the Japanese government's basic policy. (end)