December 6, 2013
The historic role of Japan for denuclearization
-------- The lesson of Fukushima--------
Mitsuhei Murata
Former Ambassador to Switzerland
Executive Director, Japan Society for Global System and
Ethics
Two and a half years after the Fukushima nuclear accident, it is now
undeniable that catastrophic nuclear accidents cannot be coped with by
a single state, nor by electric companies.
The majority of the Japanese, including six former prime@ministers
(Kan, Hatoyama, Noda, Hosokawa, Koizumi and Murayama) have now come out
against nuclear power generation.
Responding to the request made by some members of international civil
society, I have recently sent out messages to President Obama and to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
I made the following plea to President Obama. (October 28, 2013)
gIt is urgently needed to set up an international task force to assist
Japan by deploying all possible means to reduce the risk contingent on
the imminent first unloading of spent fuel from the Unit 4 under
conditions of unprecedented complexity. This requires the establishment
of a new system based on the full assumption of responsibility by the
Government of Japan. The enormous amount of funding needed must be
supervised entirely by the Government, not by TEPCO. This is a crisis
of the whole country, not one simply of TEPCOfs management. One of the
lessons of Fukushima should be the shift of priority from economy to
life.h
I expressed my serious concern to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon about the Fukushima crisis as follows. (November 1, 2013)
gThis is a national crisis that is now being regarded as a failure of
corporate management by TEPCO. Yet, TEPCO and other electric companies
are demanding restart of nuclear power generation.
I warned in 2004 that the fate of Japan should not be decided by
electric companies. I am warning now that the fate of the world should
not be decided by them.
This is a crisis affecting Japan as a nation.
It is a global security issue.h
I intend to continue to make my plea for the holding of a UN Ethics
Summit and a shift from the present paternal civilization of power to a
maternal civilization of harmony, which is a prerequisite for
denuclearization, both civilian and military.
President Kennedy and President Obama are seen to represent a maternal
culture of harmony and tolerance, which is now inherited by Ambassador
Caroline Kennedy. Her taking office in Japan gives hope for the future.
In my letter of welcome to her, I asked for her cooperation in my fight for denuclearization. (November 25, 2013)
gJapan continues to suffer from nuclear injury. After Hiroshima,
Nagasaki and Fukushima, it has become Japanfs historic role to
contribute to the realization of true denuclearization, both civilian
and military. It is the lesson of Fukushima.
I am convinced that, in our ongoing bilateral relations between our
countries, denuclearization should constitute a central field of
cooperation.h
Please allow me to count on your understanding and support.
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