A top government official announced that the three non-nuclear principles that guide national policy will be reviewed. Then, nuclear superpower U.S.A. announced that it will resume production of plutonium pits. With military tension between India and Pakistan mounting, these reports bringing bad news to the nuclear weapons abolition movement are raising the volume of angry voices and spawning protests in the A-bombed city of Hiroshima.

About 80 peace activists and second-generation A-bomb victims responded to a call from Hiroshima Prefectural Gensuikin (Japan Congress against A and H bombs) and the prefectural Peace Movement Center to gather in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Naka-ku, Hiroshima at 6:00 p.m. for a sit-in protest.

Yasuo Miyazaki of the prefectural chapter of Gensuikin said angrily, "The official's statement is an expression of the dangerous idea that nuclear weapons are usable. They are even contemplating a revision of the Constitution. "Shudo University Professor Mitsuo Okamoto, representative of the Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, said, "The government is watching to see how the people react. This is the time to raise our voices."

At the end of the sit-in, an appeal demanding retraction of the statement that the three non-nuclear principles would be reconsidered was read. The appeal was sent on June 2nd to the administration and the three ruling coalition parties.

The prefectural Gensuikyo (Japan Council against A and H bombs) and Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A and H Bomb Sufferers Organizations) (Chairman of the Board of Directors: Kazushi Kaneko) sent a protest letter to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. "When we think about the victims of war and especially the atomic bombing, we can't help but feel rage. "The letter asked the government official who made the statement to "take unequivocal measures. "The two organizations will join others in a sit-in protest in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims on June 3rd. The All Japan Teachers and Staff Union Hiroshima also sent a protest letter.

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba said, "..this comment can only lead to the conclusion that the ultimate goal of this administration is for Japan to become a nuclear-weapon state. "He asked the administration to steadfastly hold to the three non-nuclear principles and work for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Criticism and protests are also mounting regarding the U.S. plan to build a new plant for manufacturing plutonium pits. Ken Sakamoto, general secretary of the prefectural Gensuikin, said, "The pits will be produced for the same reason they conduct subcritical nuclear tests: to prepare for using nuclear weapons. These moves take all our efforts for nuclear abolition and turn them to ashes. "The Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons also sent protest letters to the prime minister and others on the 1st.

Japan could reconsider 3 nonnuclear principles

TOKYO, May 31 Kyodo - Japan may reconsider in the future its decades-long three nonnuclear principles of not possessing, not producing and not allowing nuclear arms on its soil, a top government official said Friday.

''The principles are just like the Constitution. But in the face of calls to amend the Constitution, the amendment of the principles is also likely,'' the official told reporters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told a press conference the same day it is possible for Japan, in his own view, to possess nuclear weapons.

Fukuda made the remark after Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said in a lecture May 13 that Japan could possess nuclear weapons as long as they are small.

Political analysts said the remarks by the high-ranking government officials approving of possession of nuclear arms will provoke strong reaction from opposition parties as well as neighboring Asian nations.

At the press conference, Fukuda said, ''Japan does not have offensive arms (such as long-range missiles and atomic bombs) as it restricts military activity to self-defense.''

He added, however, that Japan's defense-only policy does not mean Japan cannot possess such weapons.

He also said Japan can own intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) even under the defense-only policy, but soon rectified the remarks after consulting with his secretaries.

''Japan will not possess ICBMs as they exceed the defense-only policy,'' he said. ==Kyodo 2002-05-31

(Caption)Hiroshima residents carry out a sit-in in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims to call for retraction of the administration’s announcement that it would reconsider the three non-nuclear principles.