His Excellency Kim Jong-Il
Chairman of the DPRK National Defense Commission
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Letter of Protest
Though the Mayors for Peace, which consists of cities around the world, A-bomb survivor organizations, and many cities and organizations asked you to refrain, you selfishly proceeded with your nuclear test. We are outraged and, on behalf of the 1,430 cities in 120 countries and regions that are members of Mayors for Peace, we vehemently protest.
The fact that you conducted this test even as the international community was working so hard to find peaceful resolutions to your problems is intolerable. We gravely fear that your action will stimulate the expansion and proliferation of nuclear arms, creating an irreversible threat to world peace and stability.
We urge you to listen conscientiously to the survivor message that “nuclear weapons are an absolute evil that can potentially extinguish the human species,” and immediately abandon all your nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons programs. We further urge you to engage constructively in the six-party talks on the nuclear issue, return to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), develop diplomatic efforts that do not rely on nuclear deterrence, and fulfill your legal obligation to negotiate in good faith toward global nuclear disarmament.
October 10, 2006
The Conference of Mayors for Peace
Tadatoshi Akiba | President | Mayor of Hiroshima |
Iccho Itoh | Vice President | Mayor of Nagasaki |
Herbert Schmalstieg | Vice President | Mayor of Hannover |
Catherine Margate | Vice President | Mayor of Malakoff |
Glyn Evans | Vice President | Deputy Mayor of Manchester |
Jaime R. Fresnedi | Vice President | Mayor of Muntinlupa |
Eugeny P. Ishuchenko | Vice President | Mayor of Volgograd |
Donald L. Plusquellic | Vice President | Mayor of Akron |
Garry Moore | Vice President | Mayor of Christchurch |
Leonardo Domenici | Vice President | Mayor of Florence |
Patrik Vankrunkelsven | Vice President | Mayor of Laakdal |