Hibakusha sends call of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to U.S. President Obama

Japan Press Weekly

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Hibakusha sends call of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to U.S. President Obama

The Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) has sent the following letter to Barack Obama, who took office on January 20 as the 44^th president of the United States:

President Obama:

First, allow us to express our heartfelt congratulations on your having been elected to serve as the 44^th President of the United States of America.

We are the Hibakusha, survivors of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As you know, the atomic bombs dropped on these two cities in August 1945 unleashed inhumane destruction on an incredible scale. We are the surviving first-hand witnesses to the nightmarish devastation caused by nuclear war.

Over 20 million lives were lost as a result of the invasion of Asian nations by the former imperial government of Japan and the ensuing war with the United States. Along with the deaths of three million Japanese citizens, the employment of nuclear weapons just before the end of the war resulted in our becoming history's first atomic-bomb victims.

Through our experiences we have learned that war, especially nuclear war, brings only death and destruction to humanity. Even as we and other survivors continue to suffer today, one lesson we have learned is not to advocate retaliation in any way. Instead, we have been urging the nuclear powers of the world, starting with the United States, to abolish all nuclear weapons as promptly as possible. Our global message is that we as humans should never again create Hibakusha, and that humanity and nuclear weapons cannot coexist on this planet.

We were pleased that your campaign pledges included nuclear disarmament, ratification of the CTBT and a freeze on the development of new nuclear weapons. We look forward to seeing these efforts come to fruition, leading to a brighter future for all of humanity. The power to create a world free from the threat of nuclear weapons now lies in your hands.

While we welcome and appreciate your commitment to achieve these goals, we have dedicated our lives as Hibakusha to eradicating nuclear weapons and see it as our duty to assist you in this endeavor.

If we could have the honor, we would like to arrange a discussion between you and a delegation from our organization at your earliest convenience. We wish to deepen your understanding of the frightening consequences of nuclear weapons by sharing with you what we as Hibakusha have witnessed and experienced. We hope that you can then use this knowledge as you strive to pave a road of peace leading to a brighter future for humanity.