Obama Speech at Suntory Hall, 2009 Nov 14  continued

 

In Prague, I affirmed America's commitment to rid the world of nuclear weapons, and

laid out a comprehensive agenda to pursue this goal. I am pleased that Japan has

joined us in this effort. No two nations on Earth know better what these weapons can

do, and together we must seek a future without them. This is fundamental to our

common security, and this is a great test of our common humanity. Our very future

hangs in the balance.

 

Let me be clear:  so long as these weapons exist, the United States will maintain a

strong and effective nuclear deterrent that guarantees the defense of our allies -

including South Korea and Japan. 

 

But we must recognize that an escalating nuclear arms race in this region would

undermine decades of growing security and prosperity. So we are called upon to

uphold the basic bargain of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty - that all nations have

a right to peaceful nuclear energy; that nations with nuclear weapons have a

responsibility to move toward nuclear disarmament; and those without them have the

responsibility to forsake them.

 

Indeed, Japan serves as an example to the world that true peace and power can

be achieved by taking this path.  For decades, Japan has enjoyed the benefits of

peaceful nuclear energy, while rejecting nuclear arms development - and by any

measure, this has increased Japan's security, and enhanced its position.

 

To meet our responsibilities - and move forward with the agenda I laid out in Prague -

we have passed a unanimous UN Security Council resolution embracing this

international effort. We are pursuing a new agreement with Russia to reduce our

nuclear stockpiles.  We will work to ratify and bring into force the Test Ban Treaty.

And next year at our Nuclear Security Summit, we will advance our goal of securing

all of the world's vulnerable nuclear materials within four years.

 

As I have said before, strengthening the global nonproliferation regime is not about

singling out individual nations.  It is about all nations living up to their responsibilities.

 That includes the Islamic Republic of Iran.  And it includes North Korea. 

 

For decades, North Korea has chosen a path of confrontation and provocation,

including the pursuit of nuclear weapons. It should be clear where that path leads.

We have tightened sanctions on Pyongyang. We have passed the most sweeping UN

Security Council resolution to date to restrict their weapons of mass destruction

activities. We will not be cowed by threats, and we will continue to send a clear

message through our actions, and not just our words: North Korea's refusal to meet

its international obligations will lead only to less security - not more.

 

Yet there is another path that can be taken. Working in tandem with our partners -

and supported by direct diplomacy - the United States is prepared to offer North

Korea a different future. Instead of an isolation that has compounded the horrific

repression of its own people, North Korea could have a future of international

integration. Instead of gripping poverty, it could have a future of economic opportunity

– where trade, investment and tourism can offer  the North Korean people the chance

at a better life. And instead of increasing insecurity, it could have a future of greater

security and respect. This respect cannot be earned through belligerence. It must be

reached by a nation that takes its place in the international community by fully living

up to its international obligations.

 

The path for North Korea to realize this future is clear: a return to the Six-Party

Talks; upholding previous commitments, including a return to the Nuclear

Non-Proliferation Treaty; and the full and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean

peninsula. And full normalization with its neighbors can only come if Japanese

families receive a full accounting of those who have been abducted. These are all

steps that can be taken by the North Korean government, if they are interested in

improving the lives of their people and joining the community of nations.

 

And as we are vigilant in confronting this challenge, we will stand with all of our Asian

partners in combating the transnational threats of the 21st century: by rooting out the

extremists who slaughter the innocent, and stopping the piracy that threatens our

sea lanes; by enhancing our efforts to stop infectious disease, and working to end

extreme poverty in our time; and by shutting down the traffickers who exploit women,

children and migrants, and putting a stop to this scourge of modern-day slavery once

and for all.

 

Indeed, the final area in which we must work together is in upholding the fundamental

rights and dignity of all human beings.

 

The Asia Pacific region is rich with many cultures. It is marked by extraordinary

traditions and strong national histories. And time and again, we have seen the

remarkable talent and drive of the peoples of this region in advancing human

progress. Yet this much is also clear - indigenous cultures and economic growth

have not been stymied by respect for human rights, they have been strengthened by

it.  Supporting human rights provides lasting security that cannot be purchased in any

other way - that is the story that can be seen in Japan's democracy, just as it can be

seen in America's. 

 

The longing for liberty and dignity is a part of the story of all peoples. For there are

certain aspirations that human beings hold in common: the freedom to speak your

mind, and choose your leaders; the ability to access information, and worship how

you please; confidence in the rule of law, and the equal administration of justice.

These are not impediments to stability, they are its cornerstones. And we will always

stand on the side of those who seek these rights.

 

That truth guides our new approach to Burma. Despite years of good intentions,

neither sanctions by the United States nor engagement by others succeeded in

improving the lives of the Burmese people. So we are now communicating directly

with the leadership to make it clear that existing sanctions will remain until there are

concrete steps toward democratic reform.  We support a Burma that is unified,

peaceful, prosperous, and democratic. And as Burma moves in that direction, a

better relationship with the United States is possible.

 

There are clear steps that must be taken  - the unconditional release of all political

prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi; an end to conflicts with minority groups; and

a genuine dialogue between the government, the democratic opposition and minority

groups on a shared vision for the future.  That is how a government in Burma will be

able to respond to the needs of its people.  That is the path that will bring Burma true

security and prosperity.

 

These are the steps that the United States will take to improve prosperity, security,

and human dignity in the Asia Pacific. We will do so through our close friendship

with Japan - which will always be a centerpiece of our efforts in the region. We will do

so as a partner - through the broader engagement that I have discussed today. We

will do so as a Pacific nation - with a President who was shaped in part by this piece

of the globe. And we will do so with the same sense of purpose that has guided our

ties with the Japanese people for nearly fifty years.

 

The story of how these ties were forged dates back to the middle of the last century,

some time after the guns of war had quieted in the Pacific. It was then that America's

commitment to the security and stability of Japan, along with the Japanese peoples'

spirit of resilience and industriousness, led to what has been called the Japanese

Miracle - a period of economic growth that was faster and more robust than anything

the world had seen for some time.

 

In the coming years and decades, this Miracle would spread throughout the region,

and in a single generation, the lives and fortunes of millions were forever changed for

the better.  It is progress that has been supported by a hard-earned peace, and

strengthened by new bridges of mutual understanding that have bound together the

nations of this vast and sprawling space. 

 

But we know that there is still work to be done - so that new breakthroughs in

science and technology can lead to jobs on both sides of the Pacific, and security

from a warming planet; so that we reverse the spread of deadly weapons, and - on a

divided peninsula - the people of the South can be freed from fear, while those in the

north can live free from want; so that a young girl van be valued not for her body but

for her mind, and so that young people everywhere can go as far as their talent, their

drive, and their choices will take them.

 

None of this will come easy, nor without setback or struggle.  But at this moment of

renewal - in this land of miracles - history tells us it is possible.  This is America's

agenda. This is the purpose of our partnership - with Japan, and with the nations and

peoples of this region. And there must be no doubt: as America's first Pacific

President, I promise you that this Pacific nation will strengthen and sustain our

leadership in this vitally important part of the world. Thank you very much.