May 19, 2024

Seven organizations of A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) in Hiroshima Prefecture on May 18 strongly protested a U.S. subcritical nuclear test conducted four days earlier at the Nevada test site.

Hibakusha claimed that such a test would inevitably give Russia and China further reason to develop advanced nuclear weapons, and that it would discourage North Korea from stopping its nuclear-weapons tests and would only help spur a nuclear arms race.

They expressed concern, saying, “We fear that nuclear weapons could be used in the wars in Ukraine and Palestine and that tensions in the world could escalate.”

They demanded that the United States break away from its contradictory policy of “nuclear dependence” in order to implement the commitment to “a world without nuclear weapons” that U.S. President Joe Biden expressed at the G7 Summit a year ago.

Past related article:
> Hibakusha/antinuke peace groups protest against US subcritical nuclear tests [April 14, 2022]