August 10, 2019

Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on August 9 in the annual memorial ceremony in Nagasaki read the text of his speech which was for the most part a copy-pasted version of the speech he gave in Hiroshima. This shows his unwillingness to fulfill his responsibility as the head of the only A-bombed nation in the world.

The ceremony commemorating the U.S. atomic bombing of Nagasaki 74 years ago was hosted by the Nagasaki City government with 5,200 people, including A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha), bereaved families, domestic and foreign government officials, and political party representatives, participating.

Reading out the Peace Declaration, City Mayor Taue Tomihisa said that all the nuclear states should recall the meaning of the NPT, which promises to eliminate nuclear weapons and compels each country to fulfill that duty. At the same time, Taue denounced the Japanese government for turning its back on the UN nuclear weapons ban treaty and said that as “the only country in the world to have experienced the devastation caused by nuclear weapons, Japan must sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as soon as possible.”

Representing Hibakusha, Yamawaki Yoshiro read out a “pledge for peace”. He called on PM Abe, as the leader of the only A-bombed nation in the world, to appeal to nuclear weapons states for cooperation to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons. He also stressed that PM Abe should take a firm stance and confront the U.S. on the issue of eliminating nuclear arms.

Meanwhile, delivering his weak speech, PM Abe only said that he will work to “build a bridge between nuclear weapon states and non-nuclear weapon states” without saying anything about the TPNW just as he did in his speech at the Hiroshima memorial ceremony.

PM Abe made this remark again in a meeting with representatives of five Hibakusha organizations in Nagasaki which was held after the peace ceremony. Abe pointed out that no nuclear power participated in the UN treaty and that the treaty has caused disunity in the international community.

PM Abe repeatedly insists that he will lead global efforts for the abolition of nuclear weapons and work as a bridge between nuclear haves and have-nots. However, it is obvious that he has no real intent to do so as he accepts the U.S. Trump administration’s moves fueling another nuclear arms race such as the adoption of a plan to develop low-yield nuclear weapons and the U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal and the INF.

Past related articles:
> Trump’s State of Union Address raises new concerns about further divisions in US society and the increase in military spending [February 7, 2019]
> Shii condemns Trump’s decision to withdraw US from Iran nuclear deal [May 10, 2018]