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Press releases Archive |
LAST UPDATE
September 29, 2008
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| September 29, 2008 |
Peace Boat Hibakusha Project
— Kochi Statement for a Nuclear-Free World |
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63 years have passed since the nuclear bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which must be remembered for the excruciating human agony and devastating destruction of a kind never seen before. The “Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World – Peace Boat Hibakusha Project” has brought 102 Hibakusha (survivors of the atomic bombings) to Kochi, India as part of the worldwide voyage to share their testimonies and the universal message of the Hibakusha that nuclear weapons must be abolished in order to never again allow their use.
The Hibakusha's appeal for “No more Hibakusha, No more Hiroshima/Nagasaki, No more Wars” embodies the spirit of Article 9 of the Japanese Peace Constitution, which was created in the aftermath of the horrible suffering and devastation caused by the nuclear bombings. The non-violent principles espoused by this war-renouncing Article have much in common with the internationally revered non-violent principles of India’s Mahatma Gandhi.
The call from both civil society and world leaders for a world free from nuclear weapons is becoming stronger. The voices of the Hibakusha and the growing international consensus regarding the need of a total abolition of nuclear weapons have been reinforced, including in the 1996 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declaring the illegality of nuclear weapons and demanding the completion of nuclear disarmament. Yet the Governments of both Japan and India claim that nuclear deterrence is necessary for the preservation of peace and security. We must move away from this nuclear dependence, and instead turn the tide towards the achievement of a Nuclear Weapons Convention.
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We call on the Government of India to:
Freeze all nuclear weapons development, through signing and ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and ending fissile material production for weapons purposes
Listen to the voices of concern of global civil society, including the Hibakusha, regarding India’s nuclear cooperation with the USA. Recent international agreements should not be regarded as approval of Indian nuclear armament, but rather as a sign that India now has an even greater responsibility towards nuclear disarmament.
Build mutual confidence with neighbouring countries, so as to prevent the potential catastrophic consequences of nuclear exchange. Renew the peace dialogue between India and neighbouring countries, and encourage greater civil society participation.
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We also call on the Government of Japan to:
Leave the United States nuclear umbrella, in respect of the experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and to truly enforce Japan's non-nuclear principles
Promote the establishment of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone in Northeast Asia
Realise the potential of Article 9 as an international peace mechanism, and implement its spirit in the creation of a nuclear-free security framework
Furthermore, we recognise that efforts of civil society are imperative for creating a peaceful and nuclear weapon free future. We thus call for solidarity between civil society in Japan, India and globally, for actions including:
Promoting peace and disarmament education, including passing on the experiences of the Hibakusha to current and future generations
Supporting and expanding the network of Mayors for Peace, and promoting its “Hiroshima Nagasaki Protocol” for achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world by the year 2020
Participating in and strengthening international civil society networks for disarmament and conflict prevention, such as the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)Continuing ongoing international civil society action for the universalisation of the non-violent principles of Article 9 of the Japanese Peace Constitution.
We emphasise that militarisation has an adverse effect on development; and that governmental spending on nuclear weapons is taking away limited resources. Diversion of these resources from the military to human development is imperative. We acknowledge the important role played by Indian civil society in working for disarmament for development, and pledge to promote the global shift from military power to the promotion of nuclear abolition and peace.
The universal message of the Hibakusha calling for nuclear abolition must be heard by the world today. We hereby state our determination to transform the tragic experience of the Hibakusha and their strong hopes for peace into concrete, political action towards total nuclear abolition and the creation of peace without force as the legacy of the Hibakusha and this project for the peaceful, nuclear-free future of our world.
Peace Boat and Corporation of Cochin will declare for peace.
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