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Press releases Archive | LAST UPDATE January 19, 2009 | |
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Commonwealth of Australia Dear Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, We are a group of 100 Hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, currently traveling around the world to share testimonies of our experiences. Our project entitled “Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World, Peace Boat Hibakusha Project”, is being carried out by the Japan based NGO, Peace Boat. Today, we are pleased to be here in Sydney to meet the people of Australia. All the Hibakusha have different backgrounds. Some have been actively sharing their tragic experiences with many people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Others have been individually sharing their experiences with people in different countries around the world. Still others tried to forget their painful memories and have remained silent and kept their story deep in their hearts for decades. Finally, some were too young to remember what happened, but have always felt uneasy about what happened to them. Although we have different backgrounds, we share the same grief that the world has not learned from our experiences, and that nuclear weapons are proliferating around the world rather than heading towards abolition. We all feel a strong sense of restlessness that nuclear weapons may not be abolished during our lifetime, and some even feel close to despair. However, at this time we feel a sense of hope because of the strong leadership you have shown in taking the first big step towards abolishing nuclear weapons. We are deeply moved by your decision to establish the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, and by the concrete steps Australia is taking together with Japan to persuade nuclear weapon states to abolish nuclear weapons. The obstinate attitude of these countries makes us feel that the road to nuclear abolition will be difficult to achieve. However, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention have outlawed those weapons categorically, and we believe that it is also possible to create a Nuclear Weapons Convention. For this to happen, it is urgent for the international community to begin to seek agreement amongst themselves. As a first step, we should seek to achieve interim matters such as the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), prohibition of the production of fissile materials, and outlawing the use of nuclear weapons. These steps would pave the way to the creation of a Nuclear Weapons Convention. Furthermore, when we think about the risks of uranium mining and reprocessing, and also about the damages caused by the military use of depleted uranium, we need to move away from a society that depends on nuclear power and take steps towards realizing a recycling-oriented society. As the world moves towards the development and promotion of natural energy, we strongly wish that greater leadership be displayed. Prevention of the use of nuclear weapons that may instantly lead to the destruction of the world, and of large-scale accidents in nuclear related facilities, are matters of top priority for humankind. However, it is often said that “disasters recur when they have been forgotten.” Regardless of how painful an experience may be, it is extremely difficult for humans to pass down this experience to future generations. Therefore it is necessary to establish strong legal regulations and customs to bind all humankind. In order to achieve this, we Hibakusha, are committed to devoting ourselves and cooperating with any efforts to popularize and educate the world about the destruction caused by nuclear weapons. We would like to invite the members of the International Commission to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki so they can have a solid understanding of the reality of nuclear tragedy and the real state of the damage. The world is now approaching a historical juncture at which it can either grasp the last opportunity to abolish nuclear weapons or enter an age of endless proliferation of nuclear weapons. The Mayors for Peace network initiated by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is carrying out urgent actions, aiming for the total abolition of nuclear weapons by 2020. We sincerely hope the International Commission will work together with civil society to produce strong proposals and to contribute to the creation of a new international public opinion. History has shown that changing the tide of world opinion only becomes possible when leaders, with a distinguished opinion based on long-term perspective and strong moral values, and numerous civilians, who steadily carry those into effect at the grassroots level, unite with one another. We tend to be interested in short-term profits, the security of our country, the group we belong to and our own personal interests, and forget that we also bear responsibility to future generations of humankind. The average age of Hibakusha is now over 75 years old, and although our time is limited, we are passionate about contributing to the continued existence of humanity by sharing our atomic bomb experiences. It is our hope to join hands with you and your country to realize the total abolition of nuclear weapons. We look forward to cooperating with you in this regard. Sincerely, Participants of the Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World Peace Boat Hibakusha Project |
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