Put N-weapons abolition on the G8 Summit agenda: Gensuikyo

Japan Press Weekly

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Put N-weapons abolition on the G8 Summit agenda: Gensuikyo

The Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) on April 9 made representations to the government calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons to be included in agenda items for the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit scheduled for July.

Japan Gensuikyo representatives at the Foreign Ministry proposed that an A-bomb survivor (Hibakusha) be invited to give a speech and that a photo exhibition on the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki be held during the Summit.

Pointing out that many government ministers of the NATO member states, former U.S. Secretaries of State, and a former U.S. Secretary of Defense are calling for the need to eliminate nuclear weapons, Hiroshi Taka, Japan Gensuikyo secretary-general, said Japan, the only A-bombed country, should take the initiative in making concrete efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons.

A foreign ministry official replied that he has no idea as to the extent to which the Summit can discuss nuclear disarmament because a summit statement will need to be supported by all participating nations, including the United States and Russia.

He said, “No time can be allotted to a Hibakusha speech during the Summit.”

- Akahata, April 10, 2008