Protest letter against the US subcritical nuclear test (August 19, 2000)

August 19, 2000

The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
The United States of America

His Excellency Dr. Thomas Stephen Foley
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
of the United States of America
Embassy of the United States of America in Japan

Letter of Protest

On the 18th of this month, the United States conducted its 12th subcritical nuclear test at its underground test site in Nevada. At the NPT Review Conference held in April and May of this year, the nuclear-weapon states committed themselves to "an unequivocal undertaking・・・ to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals." The United States should now be leading this undertaking, but your repeated subcritical nuclear tests reveal all too clearly your intent to cling to nuclear weapons. I am outraged by this betrayal of the desire of worldwide majority seeking the abolition of nuclear weapons, and, on behalf of the people of Hiroshima, I vehemently protest.

Recent reports indicate that the United States is constructing a refinery to produce tritium for hydrogen bombs, and some have suggested the possibility that you have begun secret subcritical nuclear testing aboveground. These and other development activities run directly counter to the effort toward nuclear disarmament. We are gravely concerned that you are obstructing the movement in the international community toward banning nuclear weapons, greatly increasing distrust among the non-nuclear nations, and provoking a new round of nuclear proliferation.

We demand that the US work conscientiously to fulfill its recent promise at the NPT Review Conference to eliminate its nuclear arsenal. Please immediately halt all subcritical nuclear testing and take your proper place at the forefront of the effort to make the 21st a century free from nuclear weapons.

Tadatoshi Akiba
Mayor
The City of Hiroshima