Hiroshima mayor describes contents of Peace Declaration for August 6
Aug. 5, 2013
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On August 1, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui outlined the Peace Declaration that he will read aloud at the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6, the day marking the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing. Quoting the thoughts of five A-bomb survivors, the mayor will reaffirm the city’s opposition to nuclear weapons, calling them “an absolute evil” and “inhumane.” He will also stress the vulnerable status quo of relying on nuclear deterrence to maintain national security.
Mr. Matsui will highlight the growing number of nations that are appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons by focusing on their inhumanity and call on the Japanese government to strengthen its collaboration with these countries. And he will urge world leaders to “shift to a system of security based on trust and dialogue” and pay a visit to Hiroshima in person.
Regarding Japanese nuclear policy, the mayor will express his concerns over the continuing negotiations with India on exporting nuclear technology to that nation, a nuclear weapon state which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear plant, operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Mr. Matsui will call on the Japanese government to “implement a responsible energy policy that places top priority on safety and the livelihoods of the people.”
Concerning the Japanese constitution, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has demonstrated a desire to amend, the mayor will point out the significance of the nation’s pacifist stance in contributing to the reconstruction of the A-bombed city.
Mr. Matsui will incorporate the experiences of A-bomb survivors in the first half of the declaration, conveying the thoughts of A-bomb survivors who long for a peace that will outlast their plights. One woman’s experience of the bombing resulted in discrimination and led to her divorce. A man still suffers from the late health effects of the A-bomb’s radiation. At a press conference, Mr. Matsui said, “I’ve tried to use language that’s easy to understand and can be grasped by younger generations.”
The ceremony will start at 8:00 a.m. in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Following a silent prayer at 8:15, the time the bomb exploded above the city, the mayor will read aloud the Peace Declaration.
≪Outline of the Peace Declaration≫
・The mayor will quote the experiences of five A-bomb survivors, describing the horrific conditions on August 6, their hardships after the war and support for the city’s reconstruction, and their thoughts on peace after grappling with their psychological and physical traumas, which have included prejudice and discrimination.
・He will state his support for abolishing nuclear weapons from the world by 2020 by working with the member cities of Mayors for Peace, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), among others.
・He will describe the A-bombed city of Hiroshima as a place that embodies the pacifism of the Japanese constitution and points to a path that the human family must walk.
・Stressing the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, he will call on the Japanese government to strengthen its cooperation with countries appealing for the abolition of nuclear arms, which he will term “an absolute evil.”
・He will urge the Japanese government to expand the “black rain areas” in which dark, radioactive rain fell in the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. He will also emphasize the importance of pursuing an energy policy that places top priority on safety and people’s livelihoods.
(Originally published on August 2, 2013)
On August 1, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui outlined the Peace Declaration that he will read aloud at the Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6, the day marking the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing. Quoting the thoughts of five A-bomb survivors, the mayor will reaffirm the city’s opposition to nuclear weapons, calling them “an absolute evil” and “inhumane.” He will also stress the vulnerable status quo of relying on nuclear deterrence to maintain national security.
Mr. Matsui will highlight the growing number of nations that are appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons by focusing on their inhumanity and call on the Japanese government to strengthen its collaboration with these countries. And he will urge world leaders to “shift to a system of security based on trust and dialogue” and pay a visit to Hiroshima in person.
Regarding Japanese nuclear policy, the mayor will express his concerns over the continuing negotiations with India on exporting nuclear technology to that nation, a nuclear weapon state which has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In response to the nuclear accident at the Fukushima No. 1 (Daiichi) nuclear plant, operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company, Mr. Matsui will call on the Japanese government to “implement a responsible energy policy that places top priority on safety and the livelihoods of the people.”
Concerning the Japanese constitution, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has demonstrated a desire to amend, the mayor will point out the significance of the nation’s pacifist stance in contributing to the reconstruction of the A-bombed city.
Mr. Matsui will incorporate the experiences of A-bomb survivors in the first half of the declaration, conveying the thoughts of A-bomb survivors who long for a peace that will outlast their plights. One woman’s experience of the bombing resulted in discrimination and led to her divorce. A man still suffers from the late health effects of the A-bomb’s radiation. At a press conference, Mr. Matsui said, “I’ve tried to use language that’s easy to understand and can be grasped by younger generations.”
The ceremony will start at 8:00 a.m. in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Following a silent prayer at 8:15, the time the bomb exploded above the city, the mayor will read aloud the Peace Declaration.
≪Outline of the Peace Declaration≫
・The mayor will quote the experiences of five A-bomb survivors, describing the horrific conditions on August 6, their hardships after the war and support for the city’s reconstruction, and their thoughts on peace after grappling with their psychological and physical traumas, which have included prejudice and discrimination.
・He will state his support for abolishing nuclear weapons from the world by 2020 by working with the member cities of Mayors for Peace, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), among others.
・He will describe the A-bombed city of Hiroshima as a place that embodies the pacifism of the Japanese constitution and points to a path that the human family must walk.
・Stressing the inhumanity of nuclear weapons, he will call on the Japanese government to strengthen its cooperation with countries appealing for the abolition of nuclear arms, which he will term “an absolute evil.”
・He will urge the Japanese government to expand the “black rain areas” in which dark, radioactive rain fell in the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing. He will also emphasize the importance of pursuing an energy policy that places top priority on safety and people’s livelihoods.
(Originally published on August 2, 2013)
