India's nuclear tests

The international community's fears have come true. The tests increase the prospect that the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty effort will be undermined and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty will be jeopardized. That is a very disconcerting situation.

It is quite likely that Pakistan, India's neighbor, will respond with even greater hostility toward India and will also acquire its own nuclear capability. Those who suffer most in an endless arms race will be the people of those two nations. We entreat Pakistan to exercise self-restraint and urge India to reconsider the folly of being put down in the history of disarmament as a villain.

There can be no basis for condoning India's nuclear tests, but the rest of the nuclear powers also bear responsibility for driving India to this moment of folly. The nuclear powers are at fault because they have not made sincere efforts toward nuclear disarmament. It has already been three years since the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty -- requiring signatories to work to reduce nuclear arms -- was extended indefinitely. The circumstances have shown that the treaty can, in fact, become an instrument for the preservation of nuclear weapons in the control of the five nations with nuclear capabilities.

-- Asahi Shimbun, Tokyo