Push for signing of nuclear ban treaty

CITIZENS International congratulates the Malaysian Government on becoming a signatory of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations in late September.

The passing of this treaty should be lauded as a solid step towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Thus, we implore the Malaysian Government to ratify this treaty in working towards maintaining world peace without the threat of nuclear annihilation.

As party to the Treaty of Bangkok, Malaysia has shown its commitment towards maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South-East Asia. We invite the Malaysian Government to raise this matter of profound concern to other Asean members, and to support and encourage the signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Nuclear weapons are the most destructive and inhumane weapons ever developed, posing a legitimate threat to the environment and human survival. The process of developing nuclear weapons alone emanates high risk of catastrophes including contamination of food and water sources, deformation in foetuses, fatal diseases, famine and climate disruption, all of which will drastically worsen in the event of detonation.

Although deterrence is often used as a pretext for acquiring and developing nuclear weapons, our society is not capable of addressing the humanitarian crisis and providing adequate relief to victims in the aftermath of nuclear disaster. Hence, it is imperative that the international community prioritises human interest and cooperates to completely eliminate all forms of nuclear weapons to safeguard public resources, maintain positive socio-economic development and protect the health of future generations.

We encourage people to support the ratification of this treaty to ensure peaceful coexistence on this increasingly interconnected planet. We must allow the devastating consequences of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and the Chernobyl explosion to inform our attitude towards nuclear weapons as those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.