Make nuclear abolition a consensus of society Hiroshima Peace Declaration on 76th anniversary of A-bombing Mayor calls on government to ratify TPNW
Aug. 7, 2021
by Tsuyoshi Kubota, Staff Writer
On August 6, the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima by the U.S. military, the Hiroshima City government held the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony in Peace Memorial Park in central Hiroshima. In his Peace Declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stressed that Hiroshima would disseminate the facts of the bombing so civil society would decide to live without nuclear weapons and that he would encourage leaders of nuclear-weapon states to correct their policies. He demanded the Japanese government sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into effect in January, and provide immediate relief for victims exposed to “black rain.”
This was the first Peace Declaration made after the effectuation of the TPNW, which totally bans the use and development of nuclear weapons. As for the significance of the treaty, Mayor Matsui said the Hibakushas’ wishes and sustained activity of conveying the horror and inhumanity of nuclear weapons moved the international community. He also said world leaders should support the treaty and shift their focus toward a truly sustainable society free from nuclear weapons.
Mayor Matsui demanded the Japanese government immediately become party to the treaty in accordance with the will of the Hibakusha. He requested the government participate in the first Meeting of States Parties to be held in Austria next January, fulfilling the role of mediator between the nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states.
Mayor Matsui also referred to relief for those exposed to black rain. This remark was based on the government’s decision that it would not file an appeal in the lawsuit over “black rain,” in which the Hiroshima High Court ruled on July 14 that all the 84 plaintiffs should be given an A-Bomb Survivor’s Certificate even though they were caught in black rain outside the area of relief designated by the central government. Mayor Matsui demanded that not only the plaintiffs but also other survivors be given relief. He also called for more generous assistance for A-bomb survivors.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attended the ceremony, but he did not refer to the appropriateness of becoming a member of the TPNW in his speech. During a press conference held after the ceremony, he said that the goal of the elimination of nuclear weapons was shared, but he clearly said that he had no intention of signing it, citing such reasons as the treaty had no support from nuclear-weapon states. He also took a cautious attitude toward joining the Meeting of the States Parties as an observer.
Hibakusha, government officials and ambassadors of 83 countries, which include seven nuclear-weapon states, and the European Union attended the ceremony. The number of participants was limited in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infections as in last year’s ceremony. The total number of attendees was 751, which is smaller than 10 percent of that of an ordinary year. The number of victims’ family members from various prefectures was 24, which was the second smallest number following last year, when 23 people attended.
At 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb was dropped, all in attendance offered a minute of silent prayer as the Peace Bell was rung by a representative of victims’ families and a representative of children. After the “release of doves,” which was not performed last year because of the pandemic, the Commitment to Peace was read out by two sixth-graders. They said, “We must tell the people of the world, tell the next generation about how precious and how important peace truly is.” The register of the A-bomb victims was placed in the stone chest beneath the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. After the names of 4,800 people whose deaths were confirmed during the past year were added, the register now consists of 121 volumes and contains the names of 328,929 victims.
Main points of the Peace Declaration:
■ Hibakushas’ wishes and sustained activity of conveying the horror and inhumanity of nuclear weapons moved the international community and bore fruit of the effectuation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
■ The community of nations recognizes the threat of novel coronavirus to humanity and are taking measures to end it. Nuclear weapons can certainly be eliminated if all nations work together.
■ To encourage civil society to decide to live without nuclear weapons, the atomic bombed city of Hiroshima will never stop preserving the facts of the bombing, disseminating them beyond borders, and conveying them to future generations. We will also create an environment where world leaders will find courage to correct their policies.
■ The Japanese government should immediately sign and ratify the TPNW and participate in the first Meeting of States Parties scheduled for January next year, fulfilling the role of mediator between the nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon states.
■ A demand for immediate relief for those exposed to black rain and more generous assistance for A-bomb survivors.
(Originally published on August 7, 2021)
On August 6, the 76th anniversary of the atomic bombing on Hiroshima by the U.S. military, the Hiroshima City government held the annual Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony in Peace Memorial Park in central Hiroshima. In his Peace Declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui stressed that Hiroshima would disseminate the facts of the bombing so civil society would decide to live without nuclear weapons and that he would encourage leaders of nuclear-weapon states to correct their policies. He demanded the Japanese government sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into effect in January, and provide immediate relief for victims exposed to “black rain.”
This was the first Peace Declaration made after the effectuation of the TPNW, which totally bans the use and development of nuclear weapons. As for the significance of the treaty, Mayor Matsui said the Hibakushas’ wishes and sustained activity of conveying the horror and inhumanity of nuclear weapons moved the international community. He also said world leaders should support the treaty and shift their focus toward a truly sustainable society free from nuclear weapons.
Mayor Matsui demanded the Japanese government immediately become party to the treaty in accordance with the will of the Hibakusha. He requested the government participate in the first Meeting of States Parties to be held in Austria next January, fulfilling the role of mediator between the nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states.
Mayor Matsui also referred to relief for those exposed to black rain. This remark was based on the government’s decision that it would not file an appeal in the lawsuit over “black rain,” in which the Hiroshima High Court ruled on July 14 that all the 84 plaintiffs should be given an A-Bomb Survivor’s Certificate even though they were caught in black rain outside the area of relief designated by the central government. Mayor Matsui demanded that not only the plaintiffs but also other survivors be given relief. He also called for more generous assistance for A-bomb survivors.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attended the ceremony, but he did not refer to the appropriateness of becoming a member of the TPNW in his speech. During a press conference held after the ceremony, he said that the goal of the elimination of nuclear weapons was shared, but he clearly said that he had no intention of signing it, citing such reasons as the treaty had no support from nuclear-weapon states. He also took a cautious attitude toward joining the Meeting of the States Parties as an observer.
Hibakusha, government officials and ambassadors of 83 countries, which include seven nuclear-weapon states, and the European Union attended the ceremony. The number of participants was limited in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus infections as in last year’s ceremony. The total number of attendees was 751, which is smaller than 10 percent of that of an ordinary year. The number of victims’ family members from various prefectures was 24, which was the second smallest number following last year, when 23 people attended.
At 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb was dropped, all in attendance offered a minute of silent prayer as the Peace Bell was rung by a representative of victims’ families and a representative of children. After the “release of doves,” which was not performed last year because of the pandemic, the Commitment to Peace was read out by two sixth-graders. They said, “We must tell the people of the world, tell the next generation about how precious and how important peace truly is.” The register of the A-bomb victims was placed in the stone chest beneath the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims. After the names of 4,800 people whose deaths were confirmed during the past year were added, the register now consists of 121 volumes and contains the names of 328,929 victims.
Main points of the Peace Declaration:
■ Hibakushas’ wishes and sustained activity of conveying the horror and inhumanity of nuclear weapons moved the international community and bore fruit of the effectuation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
■ The community of nations recognizes the threat of novel coronavirus to humanity and are taking measures to end it. Nuclear weapons can certainly be eliminated if all nations work together.
■ To encourage civil society to decide to live without nuclear weapons, the atomic bombed city of Hiroshima will never stop preserving the facts of the bombing, disseminating them beyond borders, and conveying them to future generations. We will also create an environment where world leaders will find courage to correct their policies.
■ The Japanese government should immediately sign and ratify the TPNW and participate in the first Meeting of States Parties scheduled for January next year, fulfilling the role of mediator between the nuclear and non-nuclear-weapon states.
■ A demand for immediate relief for those exposed to black rain and more generous assistance for A-bomb survivors.
(Originally published on August 7, 2021)
