49th Bikini Day commemorated

About 2,000 people, including workers, women and young people from all over the country attended March 1 events to remember the Bikini tragedy caused by a U.S. hydrogen bomb test explosion on March 1, 1954, in Yaizu City, Shizuoka Prefecture.

Yaizu City is the hometown of the 23 crew members of the tuna fishing boat Daigo Fukuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon #5) which was showered with radioactive fallout.

The 2003 Bikini Day rally was held under the slogan, "Stop the war. Don't allow the use of nuclear weapons and Japan's war cooperation." It was organized by the Organizing Committee for the World Conference against A & H Bombs.

Japanese and overseas delegates attended a panel discussion focusing on efforts to prevent a war. Park Sunsong, member of the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy in Korea, said that peace activities by Japanese young people give Korea great hope. Representatives of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) and the New Japan Women's Association reported on their anti-war activities.

A delegate from the Marshall Islands, which fell victim to the U.S. hydrogen bomb test explosion, introduced the issue of the Nuclear Free Pacific. A representative of the Japan Confederation of A & H Bomb Sufferers Organization (Japan Hidankyo) talked about problems facing a-bomb sufferers (Hibakusha).

In protest against a possible attack on Iraq, about 1,700 people marched to the grave of Kuboyama Aikichi, captain of the Lucky Dragon #5 who left the words, "Let me be the last victim of A & H bombs," in his will. Participants laid flowers on his grave.

In the evening, young people held an assembly and had an intense discussion on ways to stop the war.

On March 2, the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) held the Bikini Day National Assembly. About 1,100 participants confirmed that they will strengthen their grassroots struggles to oppose a war on Iraq and the use of nuclear weapons and to abolish them in solidarity with people worldwide. (end)