March 2, 2017

Five organizations of atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) in Nagasaki on February 28 sent the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo a letter of protest opposing President Trump’s remark indicating his intent to enhance U.S. nuclear capabilities.

The president made this statement during an interview with Reuters last week.

In the letter, five Hibakusha organizations pointed out that the world community is now working to achieve the goal of abolishing nuclear weapons. Noting that the UN will begin discussing a nuclear abolishment treaty in March, the letter urges Trump to withdraw his remarks and agree to conclude the treaty.

Representing one of the five organizations, the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council, Taniguchi Sumiteru said that what Trump says totally runs counter to the world demand for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Citing the fact that President Trump in his policy speech proposed increasing the nation’s defense budget by 10%, Taniguchi said, “The U.S. president pushes forward with his ‘America First’ policy even in the defense field. This will undoubtedly endanger any realization of world peace.”