Protest letter against the US subcritical nuclear test (September 27, 1998)

September 27, 1998

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

I am outraged that despite official requests from my city, requests from atomic bomb survivor groups, and requests from numerous other cities and groups around the world, and despite the fact that your program is clearly linked to the present trend toward nuclear proliferation, you have unilaterally proceeded to conduct another test. On behalf of the city of Hiroshima, I hereby strongly protest.

This recent subcritical nuclear test has made it clear that your country is determined to maintain its nuclear weapons indefinitely. Your rigid adherence to nuclear deterrence and your failure to initiate the good-faith effort toward nuclear disarmament to which you are obligated under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) have already led to nuclear tests by India and Pakistan, and your continued subcritical testing is intensifying general distrust of the nuclear powers, thus creating, I'm afraid, the ripe a new nuclear arms race.

The United States should listen seriously to international public opinion that seeks the realization of trusting relationships and an international community in which national security can be assured without reliance on nuclear weapons. You should understand that the international community is trying to break out of the situation of confronting the danger of the proliferation or use of nuclear weapons, and you should immediately halt your nuclear testing and accept as your own the duty to actively and concretely engage in nuclear disarmament.

Takashi Hiraoka
Mayor of Hiroshima