October 10, 2021

Akahata 'current' column

Related to the dates when 210,000 people were killed in 1945 in the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people today take to the streets on the 6th and 9th of every month throughout Japan, calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons which is the demand of all A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha). The Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) in its "6 & 9 Action" held on October 6 in Tokyo displayed a large banner reading, "Nuclear weapons cannot safeguard the world at peace. We want a government which plays an important part in global efforts to ban nuclear weapons!"

"6 & 9 Action" participants called out to passersby, "The world is in the midst of the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Money should be used for measures to protect people's lives and livelihoods and improve education and healthcare services, not for military buildups. Japan's new Prime Minister Kishida served as Foreign Minister under the former Abe administration which opposed the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). In this coming general election, we need to replace the Kishida government with a government which will sign and ratify the TPNW and promote peace diplomacy based on Japan’s pacifist Constitution."

Hiroshima Hibakusha Setsuko Thurlow who now lives in Canada keeps sending a message to the world, calling for the need to abolish nuclear weapons. She says, "The TPNW states that nuclear weapons are inhumane and thus unacceptable to be used under any circumstance. However, A-bombed Japan continues turning its back on this treaty. Can such an act be tolerated?"

The TPNW came into effect in January. At present, 56 countries have ratified the treaty and the number of signatories is expected to top 50% of UN member states. Global peace activists are now paying attention to preparing for the 1st Meeting of State Parties to the TPNW next year.

In the UN General Assembly, many government representatives delivered speeches welcoming the entry into force of the treaty. A Trinidad and Tobago government official representing the Caribbean Community demanded that nuclear-weapons states take bold and decisive action to move boldly in the right direction.

Japan's participation in the TPNW could move nuclear-weapons states, including the United States, to take action. For a peaceful and just world without nuclear weapons, a change of government is needed.