Gensuikyo holds March 1 Bikini Day Rally

The Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) held the 2002 March 1 Bikini Day Rally on March 2 in Shizuoka City to renew the movement's resolve to increase public awareness of the present danger of the U.S. government's move toward expanding the retaliatory war beyond Afghanistan and its possible use of nuclear weapons.

About 1,100 people, including grassroots peace activists from throughout the country, took part in discussions in eight groups in the morning and a general session in the afternoon.

A participant reported that Saitama Gensuikyo is calling on all local government heads in the prefecture to jointly request the United Nations and the nuclear weapons possessing countries to immediately hold an international conference to discuss the elimination of nuclear weapons. He said that the Saitama Prefectural governor, several heads of municipalities, and local assembly chairs, have already expressed their support for the call.

In proposing an action plan for the next five months up to the 2002 World Conference against A and H Bombs in August, Takakusagi Hiroshi, Japan Gensuikyo secretary general, stressed the need to press all nuclear weapons possessing countries to implement the promise to "eliminate their nuclear arsenals."

He called on participants to press the Japanese government to stand firmly for Japan's Three Non-Nuclear Principles (not to possess, manufacture, or allow nuclear weapons to be brought into Japan) and take urgent steps for totally banning nuclear weapons. He said this is a duty of the only atomic-bombed country.

The "struggle for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the new U.S. nuclear strategy of the Bush administration" was the subject of a panel discussion by Joseph Gerson from the American Friends Service Committee, U.S.A., and Niihara Shoji, Japanese analyst of international affairs.

Gerson denounced Bush for taking advantage of the September 11 terrorist attacks to further assert U.S. hegemony.

Niihara warned that Bush's new nuclear strategy is designed to allow usable nuclear weapons to be used to counter threats of weapons of mass destruction.

"We should neither underestimate the danger of possible use of nuclear weapons nor should we be afraid of it," Niihara said, pointing to the remarkable achievements and international influence Japan's anti-nuclear movement has won so far.

Young people in the assembly said one after another, "I want to take part in a peace parade in Washington on April 20"; "We've held a peace and music rally"; and "A bicycle parade is our action for peace." (end)