Japan Press Weekly

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2021 February 10 - 16 [PEACE]

Shii discusses with Hibakusha online gov’t nuclear disarmament policy

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo on February 12 exchanged views online with other political party lawmakers and Hibakusha on the UN treaty banning nuclear weapons and the Japanese government’s nuclear disarmament policy.

Along with Shii, lawmakers who spoke in this virtual event hosted by the Japan NGO Network for Nuclear Weapons Abolition included representatives from the Liberal Democratic Party, the Komei Party, the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, the Democratic Party for the People, the Social Democratic Party, the Nippon Ishin no Kai party, and the Reiwa party.

Shii criticized the Japanese government for turning its back on the antinuke UN treaty in order to maintain reliance on the U.S. nuclear deterrent. He said, “The nuclear deterrence theory assumes the possible use of nuclear weapons. The Japanese government’s stance is tantamount to accepting the recurrence of the inhumane consequences following the use of nuclear arms which Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced.” He continued to say, “As the government of the only A-bombed nation which experienced the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, it is unacceptable for Japan to take such an attitude.”

When discussing North Korea’s nuclear weapons development issue, Shii noted that the government uses the security environment surrounding Japan to justify its reliance on nuclear deterrence. Shii pointed out that the reason North Korea uses to justify its nuclear development is the same as Japan's. He said that in global efforts to push North Korea to give up its nuclear capability, Japan’s participation in the UN treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons is the most effective. He added, “In that case, Japan will be able to make a request to North Korea by saying, ‘We stopped relying on nuclear deterrence. So, like us, you should abandon your nuclear weapons development policy.’”

Regarding the argument that Japan cannot participate in the UN treaty under the framework of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty, Shii said that Japan’s participation in the treaty is possible.

Explaining the reason for this view, Shii said that any military alliance members can be allowed to join the UN nuclear weapons ban treaty if they carry out their obligations under the treaty, including refraining from assisting, encouraging, and inducing the use or the threat of use of nuclear weapons. Shii reported that some U.S. military allies, such as Belgium, Spain, and Australia are seeking to support the UN treaty. He said, “The JCP aims to abrogate the bilateral security treaty with the U.S. with the consent of a large majority of the general public. However, we can cooperate with people who support the treaty on the single issue of pushing the government to sign and ratify the treaty.”

Past related article:
> Shii at NGO-hosted forum urges Japanese gov’t to join UN nuclear weapons ban treaty [August 6, 2020]