Sharing persistent suffering and anguish, A-bomb survivor Sueichi Kido says atomic bombs force people to live lives less than human, criticizes Japan’s stance
Jun. 21, 2022
by Kana Kobayashi, Staff Writer
At the 2022 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, which began in Austria on June 20, Sueichi Kido, 82, secretary-general of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) who experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki when he was five, spoke to the audience using all the strength available in his compact frame. “Atomic bombs are inhumane weapons of absolute evil that force people to live lives less than human and cannot coexist with humans.” Mr. Kido shared with the international community the unending suffering endured by the A-bomb survivors and their hopes for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
On August 9, 1945, Mr. Kido experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki about two kilometers from the hypocenter, suffering burns on his face. “Following a flash and an explosion, I was bathed in light, blown by the blast, and then lost consciousness,” he explained.
The scenes he witnessed near the hypocenter remain lodged in his memory. Recalling that time, he said, “The city was completely black, with everything gone.” As he neared the hypocenter he saw many corpses and people pleading for water. “Do you think such deaths are acceptable for human beings?” he queried the audience.
“Even as time passes, A-bomb survivors’ worries and suffering do not simply disappear. Rather, their anguish only grows,” Mr. Kido said, as he shared stories of the lifelong suffering of the A-bomb survivors, including the burden to their health and the impacts on their children. He described the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as “exactly what the A-bomb survivors have desired.” Holding onto hope for the success of the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW, he criticized the attitude exhibited by Japan’s national government. “The government of Japan, the A-bombed nation itself, has not signed or ratified the TPNW, against the wishes of the vast majority of its citizens.”
Touching on the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Kido exclaimed, “A-bomb survivors would never ask that people fight military power with military power.” His speech drew a huge round of applause from the audience, by which they showed their approval and respect for the 82-year-old A-bomb survivor who had made the overseas trip to convey his message firsthand.
(Originally published on June 21, 2022)
At the 2022 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, which began in Austria on June 20, Sueichi Kido, 82, secretary-general of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) who experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki when he was five, spoke to the audience using all the strength available in his compact frame. “Atomic bombs are inhumane weapons of absolute evil that force people to live lives less than human and cannot coexist with humans.” Mr. Kido shared with the international community the unending suffering endured by the A-bomb survivors and their hopes for the elimination of nuclear weapons.
On August 9, 1945, Mr. Kido experienced the atomic bombing in Nagasaki about two kilometers from the hypocenter, suffering burns on his face. “Following a flash and an explosion, I was bathed in light, blown by the blast, and then lost consciousness,” he explained.
The scenes he witnessed near the hypocenter remain lodged in his memory. Recalling that time, he said, “The city was completely black, with everything gone.” As he neared the hypocenter he saw many corpses and people pleading for water. “Do you think such deaths are acceptable for human beings?” he queried the audience.
“Even as time passes, A-bomb survivors’ worries and suffering do not simply disappear. Rather, their anguish only grows,” Mr. Kido said, as he shared stories of the lifelong suffering of the A-bomb survivors, including the burden to their health and the impacts on their children. He described the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as “exactly what the A-bomb survivors have desired.” Holding onto hope for the success of the First Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW, he criticized the attitude exhibited by Japan’s national government. “The government of Japan, the A-bombed nation itself, has not signed or ratified the TPNW, against the wishes of the vast majority of its citizens.”
Touching on the situation in Ukraine, Mr. Kido exclaimed, “A-bomb survivors would never ask that people fight military power with military power.” His speech drew a huge round of applause from the audience, by which they showed their approval and respect for the 82-year-old A-bomb survivor who had made the overseas trip to convey his message firsthand.
(Originally published on June 21, 2022)
