[NukeNet] US-India nuclear deal: CNIC statement of protest

[Citizens' Nuclear Information Center]

US-India nuclear deal: giving encouragement to North Korea

Statement of protest and demand to Japanese government
10 December 2006

The Citizens' Nuclear Information Center strongly protests the law 
passed yesterday by the US Congress to enable nuclear trade between the 
US and India. Allowing nuclear cooperation with India, which conducted 
nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998, provides an excuse for the nuclear 
weapons programs of Pakistan and North Korea and of any other would-be 
proliferator. Japan of all countries, having suffered the atomic 
bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, must oppose this deal.

Pakistan allowed nuclear proliferation to flourish via the nuclear 
black market. Now it is eyeing increased nuclear cooperation with China 
and demanding the same treatment as India. Furthermore, the US-India 
deal sends the message to North Korea that, if it is patient, before 
long it too will be accepted into the nuclear club.

Fortunately, Japan is able to prevent this nightmare scenario from 
occurring. At present, nuclear trade with India is restricted under the 
rules of the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) of countries. 
Changes to NSG rules can only be made by consensus, so if Japan opposes 
lifting sanctions on nuclear trade with India, the US-India nuclear 
deal cannot proceed.

Exempting India from NSG rules will promote nuclear proliferation and a 
nuclear arms race in Asia. It is therefore not in Japan's national 
interest to support the US-India nuclear deal. For the sake of Japan's 
security and for the sake of world peace, we demand that the Japanese 
government oppose lifting NSG restrictions on nuclear trade with India.

Hideyuki Ban
Co-Director
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center

Citizens' Nuclear Information Center
3F Kotobuki Bdg, 1-58-15, Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164-0003
Phone: 81-3-5330-9520
Fax: 81-3-5330-9530
http://cnic.jp/english/
cnic at nifty.com