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2017 January 5 - 10 [PEACE]

‘6th and 9th’ antinuke action takes place across Japan in face of launch of NWC talks

On January 6, this year’s first monthly “6th and 9th action” calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons took place across Japan. This year will see the launch of negotiations for a Nuclear Weapons Convention in March at the UN Headquarters in New York City in accordance with the UN General Assembly NWC resolution.

In the nationwide street campaign, participants called for public cooperation in the on-going international signature-collection campaign in support of Hibakusha’s appeal for the elimination of nuclear weapons. They intend to collect signatures from an overwhelming majority of people in Japan, the only A-bombed nation, in order for progress to be made in the UN talks on a nuclear ban treaty.

In Tokyo, 60 people, including Hibakusha and activists from peace groups, labor unions, and women’s groups, took to the streets near Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s major sightseeing spots. They collected signatures from many people including foreign and domestic tourists.

Tsukui Keiko, 61, a tourist from Tochigi, signed the petition and said, “I detect a warlike tone in PM Abe’s policies. Wars and nuclear arms are the things that kill innocent people. So, I stand in opposition to them.”

A 33-year-old worker whose job is to pull a two-wheeled passenger cart, Jinrikisha or Rickshaw, which is one of the very famous attractions in Asakusa, also signed the petition. Matsuo Haruka, who came from Nagasaki, criticized the Japanese government’s objection to the UNGA resolution and said, “As the government of the A-bombed nation, the Japanese government should work to abolish nuclear weapons.”

In Hiroshima City, the “6th and 9th action” was held in the city’s downtown area with 40 people, including Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Ohira Yoshinobu, participating.

Together with Ohira, representatives of Hiroshima chapters of the Japan Council against A- and H-bombs (Japan Gensuikyo) and the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) called on passersby to sign the Hibakusha petition.

Ohira said, “Let’s take a step forward from Hiroshima toward making 2017 the year to achieve a nuclear weapons-free world.”

Okoshi Kazuo of the Hiroshima Hidankyo stressed, “Finally, world leaders will begin negotiations for a NWC,” and said, “We have to gather as many signatures as possible from people inside and outside Japan in order to bring about a success in the talks.”

Similar street campaigns were organized in Yokohama, Tochigi, Fukui, Osaka, and other locations throughout Japan.

Past related article:
> UNGA resolves to launch negotiations for NWC in March[December 25, 2016]