A few surviving members of the Nagasaki atomic-bomb catastrophe plan to appeal to six Nuclear Suppliers Group countries to oppose the India-United States nuclear agreement.
The members, who are party of five groups of survivors, pointed out in a letter that if any favourable treatment for India is allowed, it would not only lead to the total collapse of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty structure but also provide excuses for countries like Iran and North Korea to engage in atomic development, the Kyodo was quoted as saying. The groups also called on survivors' groups in Hiroshima to back their appeal.
US lawmaker opposes NSG exemption for India
The Nagasaki groups plan to fax their letters to the foreign ministers of the six countries -- Austria, home to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Switzerland, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands and Ireland on Wednesday.
The six countries, among the 45-nation NSG, have voiced some reservations on the issue of transferring nuclear technologies to India which is not a signatory to NPT.
'Clear waiver at NSG is a fantasy'
"The Japanese government should object to the treaty as Japan was a victim of the atomic bomb. It is pathetic that we have to ask other countries for help," Kyodo quoted Koichi Kawano, chairman of the Atomic-bomb Victims Liaison Council of Nagasaki Peace Action Center, as saying.
'The people of India are for N-deal'
Japan, however, has decided not to oppose the Indo-US nuclear deal because the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency adopted a safeguard agreement for India last month and also because the government regards nuclear power generation as helping to curb global warming, government sources said.
Meanwhile, the NSG is due to meet on September 4-5 in Vienna to discuss a waiver to India, to allow it to resume nuclear commerce with the international community after a gap of 34 years.