Global nuclear victims speak out in WSF

About 500 people listened to "testimonies of global Hibakusha" that included Japanese atomic-bomb survivors in a symposium held on January 17 in Mumbai, India as part of the World Social Forum 2004. This was the first time a WSF event focused on Japanese Hibakusha.

The symposium "Testimonies of Global Hibakusha. Abolish Nuclear Weapons Now!" was organized by the Japan Council against A & H Bombs (Japan Gensuikyo).

Yoshino Ryoji who led the Japan Gensuikyo delegation stated, "Liberating human beings from threats of nuclear annihilation is one of the goals set by the WSF to achieve a world free of uni-polar domination."

Hibakusha Konishi Satoru and Nakayama Takamitsu spoke about the tragedy they underwent 58 years ago in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Kwak Kifun, a Korean Hibakusha who was radiated in Hiroshima after being conscripted into the Japanese army, criticized the Japanese government for refusing to compensate Hibakusha who now reside outside of Japan.

Ghanshyam Birulee who was exposed to radiation in a uranium mine in Jharkhand, India, and Faisal Baloch, a victim of Pakistan's nuclear test explosion, also shared their experiences with the audience.

The Japan Gensuikyo delegation also called on participants from many other countries to join the signature collection campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The delegation also held an exhibition on "Atomic Bomb and Humankind" and presented photos to visitors, asking them to make widely known the damage and after-effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Japan AALA denounces U.S. bases in Japan

The Japan Asia Africa and Latin America Solidarity Committee (Japan AALA) held a workshop on the "Non-aligned Movement and Non-governmental Organizations" with about 100 people participating.
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