Disarmament Documentation
Back to Disarmament Documentation
Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Declarations,
August 6 & 9
I: 'No Annihilation without Representation': Hiroshima Peace
Declaration, August 6
Peace Declaration by Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima,
August 6.
Another hot, agonizing summer has arrived for our
hibakusha who, fifty-seven years ago, experienced "the end
of the world," and, consequently, have worked tirelessly to bring
peace to this world because "we cannot allow anyone else to go
through that experience."
One reason for their agony, of course, is the annual reliving of
that terrible tragedy.
In some ways more painful is the fact that their experience
appears to be fading from the collective memory of humankind.
Having never experienced an atomic bombing, the vast majority
around the world can only vaguely imagine such horror, and these
days, John Hersey's Hiroshima and Jonathan Schell's The
Fate of the Earth are all but forgotten. As predicted by the
saying, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat
it," the probability that nuclear weapons will be used and the
danger of nuclear war are increasing.
Since the terrorist attack against the American people on
September 11 last year, the danger has become more striking. The
path of reconciliation - severing chains of hatred, violence and
retaliation - so long advocated by the survivors has been
abandoned. Today, the prevailing philosophy seems to be "I'll show
you" and "I'm stronger than you are." In Afghanistan and the Middle
East, in India and Pakistan, and wherever violent conflict erupts,
the victims of this philosophy are overwhelmingly women, children,
the elderly, and those least able to defend themselves.
President Kennedy said, "World peace...does not require that
each man love his neighbor - it requires only that they live
together with mutual tolerance...." Within this framework of
tolerance, we must all begin cooperating in any small way possible
to build a common, brighter future for the human family. This is
the meaning of reconciliation.
The spirit of reconciliation is not concerned with judging the
past. Rather, it open-mindedly accepts human error and works toward
preventing such errors in the future. To that end, conscientious
exploration and understanding of the past is vital, which is
precisely why we are working to establish the Hiroshima-Nagasaki
Peace Study Course in colleges and universities around the
world.
In the "spiritual home for all people" that Hiroshima is
building grows an abundant Forest of Memory, and the River of
Reconciliation and Humanity flowing from that forest is plied by
Reason, Conscience and Compassion, ships that ultimately sail to
the Sea of Hope and the Future.
I strongly urge President Bush to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki
to walk through that forest and ride that river. I beg him to
encounter this human legacy and confirm with his own eyes what
nuclear weapons hold in store for us all.
The United States government has no right to force Pax
Americana on the rest of us, or to unilaterally determine the
fate of the world. On the contrary, we, the people of the world,
have the right to demand "no annihilation without
representation."
Article 99 of the Japanese Constitution stipulates that "The
Emperor or the Regent as well as Ministers of State, members of the
Diet, judges, and all other public officials have the obligation to
respect and uphold this Constitution." The proper role of the
Japanese government, under this provision, is to avoid making Japan
a "normal country" capable of making war "like all the other
nations." The government is bound to reject nuclear weapons
absolutely and to renounce war. Furthermore, the national
government has a responsibility to convey the memories, voices, and
prayers of Hiroshima and Nagasaki throughout the world, especially
to the United States, and, for the sake of tomorrow's children, to
prevent war.
The first step is to listen humbly to the hibakusha of
the world. Assistance to all hibakusha, in particular to
those dwelling overseas, must be enhanced to allow them to
continue, in full security, to communicate their message of
peace.
Today, in recalling the events of 57 years ago, we, the people
of Hiroshima, honor this collective human memory, vow to do our
utmost to create a "century of peace and humanity," and offer our
sincere prayers for the peaceful repose of all the atomic bomb
victims.
Source: Hiroshima Peace site, http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/peacesite/0-1E.html.
Back to the Top of the Page
II: Discard the 'Nuclear Umbrella': Nagasaki Peace Declaration,
August 9
Peace Declaration by Itcho Ito, Mayor of Nagasaki, August
9.
Fifty-seven years ago today, August 9th, the City of Nagasaki
was instantly transformed into ruins. Dropped from an altitude of
9,600 meters, a single atomic bomb was detonated 500 meters above
the ground, emitting heat rays of several thousand degrees Celsius
and creating a blast winds of tremendous force, unleashed against a
civilian population of women, the elderly, and blameless children.
Some 74,000 people were killed, and 75,000 injured.
Radiation-induced leukaemia and cancers have gradually claimed many
more lives since. Even more than half a century later, the
survivors of the atomic bomb suffer constant anxiety over their
health, and are stalked by death.
If the instruments of indiscriminate mass destruction known as
nuclear weapons were ever to be used again, the environment would
be destroyed and the very survival of all humanity would be
jeopardized. The citizens of Nagasaki, having themselves
experienced the tragedy of an atomic bombing firsthand, have
continued to appeal to the world for the complete elimination of
nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, there remain in existence some
30,000 nuclear warheads, each with unimaginably more destructive
power than the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Most of these
weapons are in a state of immediate launch readiness.
Terrorist attacks against the United States were staged on
September 11th of last year, and we were outraged at this wanton
destruction of life and property. International tensions have since
been heightened by the ensuing attacks against Afghanistan and
intensified strife in the Middle East, as well as military clashes
between India and Pakistan that have threatened to devolve into
nuclear conflict.
In the midst of such serious international conditions, the
government of the United States has unilaterally withdrawn from the
Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with Russia in the name of
terrorist countermeasures, and is moving forward with missile
defense programs. The United States has also rejected ratification
of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and has suggested the
possibilities of restarting the production of plutonium triggers,
developing a new generation of compact nuclear weapons, and
engaging in pre-emptive nuclear strikes. Other concepts, such as
the redeployment of many warheads subject to deactivation according
to the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty with Russia, also run
counter to the disarmament efforts of international society. We are
appalled by this series of unilateral actions taken by the
government of the United States, actions which are also being
condemned by people of sound judgment throughout the world.
Domestically, comments by leaders of the Japanese government
concerning reconsideration of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles have
also stabbed at the hearts of Nagasaki citizens. As the only nation
ever to have sustained nuclear attack, it behoves Japan to stand at
the forefront of nuclear arms abolition. For this reason, the Three
Non-Nuclear Principles stating that Japan will not possess,
manufacture or allow nuclear weapons into the country must be
passed into law without delay. The Nagasaki City Council has
adopted a resolution calling for such legislation. The Japanese
government should embark on the creation of a Northeast Asian
nuclear-weapon-free zone, and should clearly present to
international society a posture of non-reliance on the 'nuclear
umbrella.' At the same time, we call on our nation's government to
take steps to enhance the welfare of aging atomic bomb survivors
residing both within and outside of Japan.
At home, citizens and local governments in Nagasaki are working
together to host a worldwide NGO gathering for the second time in
November 2003, and preparations are proceeding apace. As of today,
no fewer than 80% of Japan's local governments have declared
themselves to be in opposition to nuclear weapons. We are forming
linkages among NGOs, local governments, and United Nations
institutions, and we are resolved to work for the building of a
peaceful society.
The hibakusha atomic bomb survivors desire that they be
the final victims of atomic weapons. May our young people inherit
this desire for peace, and may they themselves consider what is to
be done, take action, and pass on this spirit to future. Many of
Nagasaki's young people are involved in volunteer activities for
peace. The City of Nagasaki supports the expansion of these
efforts, and is promoting the Nagasaki Peace Education Program for
the training and development of youth who are motivated to take
autonomous action.
The abolition of nuclear arms through mutual understanding and
dialogue is an absolute precondition for the realization of a
peaceful world. It is up to us, ordinary citizens, to rise up and
lead the world to peace.
Nagasaki must remain the final site of the calamity of nuclear
attack. Today, on the 57th anniversary of the atomic bombing, we
pray for the repose of those who died, and, in the name of the
citizens of the City of Nagasaki, I declare our undying commitment
to the complete and permanent elimination of nuclear weapons.
Source: The Nagasaki Peace Declaration site, http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/abm/abm_e/index.html.
Back to the Top of the Page
© 2002 The Acronym Institute.
|
