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Update: Petition against PU shipment

Nuclear Monitor Issue: 
#384
18/12/1992
Article

(December 18, 1992) Despite the short notice, the petition of objection against the Japanese plutonium shipment, initiated jointly by Plutonium Free Future in the USA and Rainbow Snake and PFF Japanese Women's Network in Japan, has been signed by 2,267 individuals, organizations, and government figures in 52 countries.

(384.3751) WISE Amsterdam - The petitions (see NC 379/80) were filed with the Science and Technology Ministry in Tokyo in two batches, the first on 26 October and the second on 6 November. Rainbow Serpent and their Japanese legal team held press conferences on both days, and the events received wide media coverage in Japan. Officials at the Science and Technology Ministry have promised to release all information about the shipment that is not classified as security or commercial secrets. Meanwhile, although the deadline for filing the petition has passed, Plutonium Free Future is still collecting signed petitions to demonstrate to the Japanese government the level of international concern regarding the plutonium shipment.

The following week, on 13 November, the Foreign Ministry, the Science and Technology Agency and the Maritime Safety Agency held a press conference for foreign journalists. For the first time, Japanese government officials hinted that they are reconsidering their future plutonium policy. They are quoted in the foreign media as having admitted being surprised at the strong international criticism of the current shipment of plutonium to Japan by the Akatsuki-maru.

In the New York Times, a Japanese diplomat was quoted as saying, "the international environment has been shifting, so we may not be able to stick to our plan for the next 10 years." He added, "We will begin to review it." Another official acknowledged earlier that "major differences of opinion" had broken out within the government over whether to proceed with the shipments at the cost of angering some nations Japan has spent decades trying to soothe. However, the fact that they invited only the foreign press clearly shows that they want to soothe the foreign media so that they report on the shipment more favorably.

Sources:

  • Nora Akino, PFF (US)
  • Nuke Info Tokyo (Japan), Nov./Dec. 1992

Contacts: Plutonium Free Future, 2018 Shattuck Ave., Box 140, Berkeley CA 94704, USA; phone & fax: +1-510-7645.
Rainbow Snake, Women's Network for a Plutonium-Free Future, c/o Ecology Sapce JEAN,2-21-17 Azusawa, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo 174, Japan; fax: +81-422-37-2800
Citizens' Nuclear Information Center, 302 Daini Take Bldg., 1-59-14 Higashi-nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164 Japan; tel: +81-3-5330-9520; fax: 5330-9530.