Nagasaki Peace Declaration - 2002
Fifty-seven years ago today, August 9th, the City of Nagasaki was instantly transformed into ruins. Dropped from an altitude of 9,600 meters, a single atomic bomb was detonated 500 meters above the ground, emitting heat rays of several thousand degrees Celsius and creating a blast winds of tremendous force, unleashed against a civilian population of women, the elderly, and blameless children. Some 74,000 people were killed, and 75,000 injured. Radiation-induced leukemia and cancers have gradually claimed many more lives since. Even more than half a century later, the survivors of the atomic bomb suffer constant anxiety over their health, and are stalked by death.
If the instruments of indiscriminate mass destruction known as nuclear weapons were ever to be used again, the environment would be destroyed and the very survival of all humanity would be jeopardized. The citizens of Nagasaki, having themselves experienced the tragedy of an atomic bombing firsthand, have continued to appeal to the world for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, there remain in existence some 30,000 nuclear warheads, each with unimaginably more destructive power than the bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki. Most of these weapons are in a state of immediate launch readiness.
Terrorist attacks against the United States were staged on September 11th of last year, and we were outraged at this wanton destruction of life and property. International tensions have since been heightened by the ensuing attacks against Afghanistan and intensified strife in the Middle East, as well as military clashes between India and Pakistan that have threatened to devolve into nuclear conflict.
In the midst of such serious international conditions, the government of the United States has unilaterally withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with Russia in the name of terrorist countermeasures, and is moving forward with missile defense programs. The United States has also rejected ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and has suggested the possibilities of restarting the production of plutonium triggers, developing a new generation of compact nuclear weapons, and engaging in preemptive nuclear strikes. Other concepts, such as the redeployment of many warheads subject to deactivation according to the Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty with Russia, also run counter to the disarmament efforts of international society. We are appalled by this series of unilateral actions taken by the government of the United States, actions which are also being condemned by people of sound judgment throughout the world.
Domestically, comments by leaders of the Japanese government concerning reconsideration of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles have also stabbed at the hearts of Nagasaki citizens. As the only nation ever to have sustained nuclear attack, it behooves Japan to stand at the forefront of nuclear arms abolition. For this reason, the Three Non-Nuclear Principles stating that Japan will not possess, manufacture or allow nuclear weapons into the country must be passed into law without delay. The Nagasaki City Council has adopted a resolution calling for such legislation. The Japanese government should embark on the creation of a Northeast Asian nuclear-weapon-free zone, and should clearly present to international society a posture of non-reliance on the "nuclear umbrella." At the same time, we call on our nation's government to take steps to enhance the welfare of aging atomic bomb survivors residing both within and outside of Japan.
At home, citizens and local governments in Nagasaki are working together to host a worldwide NGO gathering for the second time in November 2003, and preparations are proceeding apace. As of today, no fewer than 80% of Japan's local governments have declared themselves to be in opposition to nuclear weapons. We are forming linkages among NGOs, local governments, and United Nations institutions, and we are resolved to work for the building of a peaceful society.
The hibakusha atomic bomb survivors desire that they be the final victims of atomic weapons. May our young people inherit this desire for peace, and may they themselves consider what is to be done, take action, and pass on this spirit to future. Many of Nagasaki's young people are involved in volunteer activities for peace. The City of Nagasaki supports the expansion of these efforts, and is promoting the Nagasaki Peace Education Program for the training and development of youth who are motivated to take autonomous action.
The abolition of nuclear arms through mutual understanding and dialogue is an absolute precondition for the realization of a peaceful world. It is up to us, ordinary citizens, to rise up and lead the world to peace.
Nagasaki must remain the final site of the calamity of nuclear attack. Today, on the 57th anniversary of the atomic bombing, we pray for the repose of those who died, and, in the name of the citizens of the City of Nagasaki, I declare our undying commitment to the complete and permanent elimination of nuclear weapons.
Iccho
Itoh
Mayor of Nagasaki
August 9, 2002
Posted August 9, 2002