Hiroshima memorial cenotaph assaulted with red paint

An act of vandalism of the Cenotaph for Atomic Bomb Victims at the center of Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park has angered and saddened not only the Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) but all peace-loving people in Japan.

The monument with the famous inscription: "Please rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil" was found splashed with reddish brown paint late at night on March 5, an apparent insult to wishes for peace. This happened only a fortnight after about 50,000 paper cranes offered to a peace statue in the same park were set on fire.

The next day, the Hiroshima Prefectural Council against A and H Bombs (Hiroshima Gensuikyo) and the Hiroshima A- and H-Bombs Sufferers Organization (Hiroshima Hidankyo) took to the streets to collect signatures in support of the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The offender has not been identified yet.

"There is no knowing what the reason was for committing this act of vandalism, but it is an ominous act that tramples down on the wishes of the Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors) and the world's pledge of "No more Hiroshimas," stated an Akahata column of March 8.

The memorial cenotaph, built on August 6, 1952, stores the names of about 220,000 people who fell victim to the August 6, 1945 atomic bombing. (end)