|
Opening Address
Dr.
Gunnar Westberg, Co-President of IPPNW
IPPNW 6th North Asia Regional Meeting
Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia
June 21, 2007
Your Excellency President
Enkhbayar Nambar
Esteemed participants of this regional meeting.
I am
very proud to be the first international representative of IPPNW to speak in this
country, and to be allowed to open the North Asia regional meeting of IPPNW.
I
wish to express my thanks to President Enkhbayar for supporting this conference.
I thank all the organisers and sponsors who have made this meeting possible. The
Mongolian affiliate of IPPNW and its President Dr Tuvshinbat Nyamsuren, the Blue
Banner organisation and Ambassador Enkhsaikhan Jargalsaikan, the Japanese affiliate
of IPPNW and the regional IPPNW Vice President Dr. Katsuko Kataoka, you have all
worked hard to make this important conference possible. Thank you!
The
theme of the conference is promotion of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, NWFZ, in
North East Asia.
Mongolia - a unique one country NWFZ - is an inspiration.
All earlier NWFZs consist of several countries in a region. Mongolia shows that
even a single country can increase security draw for itself and increase stability
in a region by declaring that the country is not only free from nuclear weapons
but also a nuclear weapons free zone, and to seek security guarantees for that
status.
IPPNW was founded 27 years ago, at the height of the Cold War,
on the initiative of one American and one Soviet physician. The organisation quickly
spread to about 60 countries. In 1985 we received the Nobel Peace Price. The purpose
of the organisation was, and is, to prevent nuclear war by informing about the
medical consequences of nuclear war. We believe that if people really understand
what a nuclear war means, they will demand that the nuclear weapon states abolish
all nuclear weapons. Thus, we believe in information, in education. Here we were
to a large extent successful: During the 1980-ies people in the Soviet Union,
in the USA and in Europe learnt that a nuclear war could destroy all human civilization,
maybe all mankind, and that there is no defence against nuclear weapons.
We
also believe in democracy, that the people could force the governments to get
rid of all their nukes. And yes, the nuclear weapon states promised to abolish
all their nuclear weapons. This they promised already in 1968, when they signed
the Non-proliferation treaty, they reaffirmed this commitment in 1995, and again
"unequivocally" in 2000, at the NPT review conferences, but it is clear
that they have no intention of keeping their promises. And when the cold war ended,
people thought the danger was over, and stopped pressing their governments. So
the democracy did not work well enough. We must try harder.
The danger
of a nuclear war is not over, but it is changing in nature.
The danger
of a global nuclear war between Russia and the USA, a war that would destroy all
human civilization, is probably smaller today than it was during the Cold War,
a smaller risk, but not zero, and today the risk is increasing. We are lucky to
have survived. Today and every day, about 6000 nuclear warheads on intercontinental
missiles are on high level alert. If the President of Russia or of the USA, receives
the information "our country is under attack by nuclear missiles" the
president has at most ten minutes to decide if he should "press the button".
He will ask if the alarm is false or true? There have been several false alarms.
If now the Russian president believes it is a false alarm and decides not to press
the button, he takes the risk that almost all Russian nuclear weapons would be
destroyed before they are fired. If he fires, he ignites the nuclear holocaust
and destroys us all, maybe by mistake.
But, of course, there is no risk,
they say. Russia and the USA are not enemies. Well, if there is no risk, why are
the weapons on high alert, ready to be fired within minutes? The High Alert status
carries a real risk that technical failures, human mistakes, or hackers or terrorists,
can start a global nuclear war. Russia and USA have no excuse for keeping us all
at risk of extermination.
The risk may be increasing because of the new
nuclear doctrines and nuclear proliferation. The new nuclear doctrines say that
nuclear weapons are not only a deterrent but a part of the regular weapons arsenal,
to be used whenever there is a military "justification". USA, Britain,
France and to some extent Russia have declared these new doctrines. China has
not, and keeps its No First Use doctrine. China deserves to be recognized for
its restraint. The US leaders talk openly of a possible "preventive nuclear
war", for instance against Iran. Such a "preventive" attack would
of course constitute a serious war crime. Even the threat of using nuclear weapons
is in itself a crime against international law, as ruled by the International
Court of Justice.
The nuclear weapon states claim they need their nukes
for their security. Other states will feel an equal or greater need for these
weapons and will try to acquire them. Thus the new nuclear doctrines will increase
nuclear proliferation. To stop that, the nuclear weapon states may consider a
preventive attack. This presumed threat will also be an excuse to attack. The
US public would probably not have accepted the attack against Iraq if not the
mushroom cloud had been seen rising over Manhattan behind Condoleeza Rice when
she spoke on TV .
Nuclear weapons today increase the risk of war.
In the same line, if DPRK, North Korea, were to develop a credible nuclear force
with long distance missiles able deliver the nuclear warheads, North Korea would
be attacked and destroyed by the USA. This is called a "preventive war".
If North Korea acquires a nuclear force it will probably be destroyed by nuclear
weapons. North Korea is wise to work for a nuclear weapons free zone in the Korean
peninsula instead and give up its plans for nuclear weapons.
North East
Asia is a very important region for IPPNW. The Japanese affiliate is close to
the heart of IPPNW. The memories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki continue to live
in our mind and remind us of what a single, and "small" nuclear explosion
can do to humans. . These memories make the Japanese population strongly oppose
nuclear weapons. I assume, but do not know, that the population of Japan would
welcome a decision that Japan should be a real nuclear weapons free zone.
We
are fortunate to have an affiliate in DPRK, which can help us understand how the
thinking goes in their country. We are very happy that our new affiliate in Mongolia
has arranged, with Blue Banner, this conference. Mongolia's status as a NWFZ gives
you a special possibility and responsibility here!
Unfortunately the IPPNW
affiliates in ROK, South Korea and in China are no longer active. We will try,
and try again, restart these affiliates.
N E Asia as a NWFZ is an important
concept. Mongolia is a NWFZ country and is taking a strong initiative. Japan has
special calling in history to keep the memories of what a nuclear explosion does
to humans, and should be very active here. The Korean peninsula is one nation,
the Nation of Koreans, divided into two heavily armed states. Not only should
all nuclear weapons be banned from Korea, there should also be a peace treaty,
peace after half a century. This is the strong desire of the people in all Korea.
I believe IPPNW can serve as a strong ally in this movement. As doctors
our concern is the health and survival of our patients. We have no political agenda.
We know that a nuclear war is the greatest threat to the health and survival of
all mankind. After a nuclear attack there is nothing we can do. All we can do
is to prevent. The only reliable prevention is abolition of all nuclear weapons.
A nuclear weapons free zone in N E Asia would decrease the risk of nuclear proliferation,
and secondly be a great step toward the abolition of all nuclear weapons.
Thank
you.
Gunnar Westberg MD
Co-president IPPNW