A-bomb survivors call for Japanese government to sign nuclear weapons ban treaty at gatherings in Hiroshima and Tokyo
Sep. 21, 2017
by Yoshiaki Kido and Kenichiro Nozaki, Staff Writers
“Let’s promulgate an understanding of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and persuade the Japanese government to join the treaty.” On September 20, as governments of countries which advocate the abolition of nuclear arms began adding their signatures to the treaty, A-bomb survivors collectively applauded and, in Tokyo and in the A-bombed city of Hiroshima, they gathered to raise their voices for the need to move forward in pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons. At the same time, they urged the Japanese government, which relies on nuclear deterrence for the nation’s security and has thus far refused to sign the treaty, to change course.
In conjunction with the start of the process of adding signatures to the treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York, 65 members of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo, chaired by Kunihiko Sakuma), together with the Hiroshima prefectural chapters of the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo), marched about one kilometer in a procession from Kinzagai shopping mall in Naka Ward to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. Holding banners and signs that appealed to the Japanese government to sign the treaty and take the lead in the nuclear abolition movement, the participants chanted, “Let’s abolish nuclear weapons with our power.”
Before commencing the march, Kunihiko Sakuma, 72, the chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo, criticized the Japanese government, saying that its stance is confounding and that it ignores the wishes of the A-bomb survivors. Mr. Sakuma called on the participants to raise their voices from Hiroshima to press the government to sign the treaty. On this day, both organizations asked people on the street to sign the “Hibakusha Appeal,” a petition which calls on all countries to sign the treaty.
Hiroshima’s antinuclear, pacifist organizations are planning to hold a gathering in Hiroshima on October 1 to increase pressure on the Japanese government to sign the treaty. Haruko Moritaki, 78, the head of the executive committee and the co-chair of the citizens’ group called the Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA), stresses that the importance of the nuclear weapons ban treaty must be shared with as many people as possible in order to sway the government to changes its policy. She added that the Japanese government, which represents the only nation to have experienced an atomic attack, has lost its credibility among the international community.
In front of the prime minister’s office, about 200 people gathered with A-bomb survivors from the Tokyo metropolitan area to call for the Japanese government to join the treaty. In the Diet building, Nihon Hidankyo held a gathering, with about 100 A-bomb survivors, to ask the Japanese government to back the nuclear agreement. Mikiso Iwasa, 88, an advisor to Nihon Hidankyo, said in his speech, “The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted from the perspective of the inhumanity of nuclear arms. The Japanese government should take the lead in creating a future without nuclear weapons.” Members of the organization submitted petitions for the Diet’s ratification and approval of the treaty to the representatives of political parties who were invited to the gathering.
Toshiyuki Mimaki, 75, the vice chair of the other Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo (chaired by Sunao Tsuboi), who took part in the gathering in the Diet building, said that the Japanese government should sign the treaty as soon as possible to eliminate war and nuclear weapons.
(Originally published on September 21, 2017)
“Let’s promulgate an understanding of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and persuade the Japanese government to join the treaty.” On September 20, as governments of countries which advocate the abolition of nuclear arms began adding their signatures to the treaty, A-bomb survivors collectively applauded and, in Tokyo and in the A-bombed city of Hiroshima, they gathered to raise their voices for the need to move forward in pursuit of a world without nuclear weapons. At the same time, they urged the Japanese government, which relies on nuclear deterrence for the nation’s security and has thus far refused to sign the treaty, to change course.
In conjunction with the start of the process of adding signatures to the treaty at U.N. headquarters in New York, 65 members of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo, chaired by Kunihiko Sakuma), together with the Hiroshima prefectural chapters of the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo), marched about one kilometer in a procession from Kinzagai shopping mall in Naka Ward to the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima. Holding banners and signs that appealed to the Japanese government to sign the treaty and take the lead in the nuclear abolition movement, the participants chanted, “Let’s abolish nuclear weapons with our power.”
Before commencing the march, Kunihiko Sakuma, 72, the chair of the Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo, criticized the Japanese government, saying that its stance is confounding and that it ignores the wishes of the A-bomb survivors. Mr. Sakuma called on the participants to raise their voices from Hiroshima to press the government to sign the treaty. On this day, both organizations asked people on the street to sign the “Hibakusha Appeal,” a petition which calls on all countries to sign the treaty.
Hiroshima’s antinuclear, pacifist organizations are planning to hold a gathering in Hiroshima on October 1 to increase pressure on the Japanese government to sign the treaty. Haruko Moritaki, 78, the head of the executive committee and the co-chair of the citizens’ group called the Hiroshima Alliance for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (HANWA), stresses that the importance of the nuclear weapons ban treaty must be shared with as many people as possible in order to sway the government to changes its policy. She added that the Japanese government, which represents the only nation to have experienced an atomic attack, has lost its credibility among the international community.
In front of the prime minister’s office, about 200 people gathered with A-bomb survivors from the Tokyo metropolitan area to call for the Japanese government to join the treaty. In the Diet building, Nihon Hidankyo held a gathering, with about 100 A-bomb survivors, to ask the Japanese government to back the nuclear agreement. Mikiso Iwasa, 88, an advisor to Nihon Hidankyo, said in his speech, “The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted from the perspective of the inhumanity of nuclear arms. The Japanese government should take the lead in creating a future without nuclear weapons.” Members of the organization submitted petitions for the Diet’s ratification and approval of the treaty to the representatives of political parties who were invited to the gathering.
Toshiyuki Mimaki, 75, the vice chair of the other Hiroshima Prefectural Hidankyo (chaired by Sunao Tsuboi), who took part in the gathering in the Diet building, said that the Japanese government should sign the treaty as soon as possible to eliminate war and nuclear weapons.
(Originally published on September 21, 2017)
