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Foreword
The information of the harm caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been hidden successful strict secrecy, nether the Japanese government's argumentation of continuing the warfare until August 15, 1945, and aft that, nether the concern argumentation of the U.S. forces.
Even aft Japanese sovereignty was restored successful 1952, atomic weaponry victims received nary assistance from either the United States oregon the Japanese authorities for a agelong time.
The Hibakusha, who had continued to endure successful caput and assemblage from carnal infirmity and poorness caused by the atomic bombing, and from the favoritism and prejudice owed to ignorance of the harm caused by the atomic weapons, acceptable astir a societal question by forming the nationalist enactment of atomic weaponry victims, "HIDANKYO" (The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) successful August 1956 amidst the upsurge of the anti-A & H Bombs question astatine that time.
HIDANKYO aimed from the outset astatine the "enactment of a Hibakusha Aid Law by the authorities (state compensation law)" and "a full prohibition and the elimination of atomic weapons" with the main slogan of "No much Hibakusha". Since then, HIDANKYO has continued a many-faceted conflict tenaciously for "No much Hibakusha", portion disseminating the facts astir "Hiroshima and Nagasaki" successful and extracurricular Japan by carrying connected witnesser activities.
This is simply a study based connected the latest information presented by HIDANKYO representing 370,000 hibakusha.
(I) What Do the Hibakusha Tell Us?
Many things person already been said astir the anticipation which the INF Treaty brought forth. We are of the aforesaid opinion. It is besides wide that the large motivation powerfulness of satellite nationalist sentiment calling continuously for "No More Hiroshimas! No much Nagasakis!" and "No Euroshima!" contributed to that success.
But if anyone thinks that this has removed the menace of atomic weapons, oregon that the information of atomic warfare has receded, we would intelligibly accidental "No!".
We indispensable present mobilize satellite nationalist sentiment much wide than ever for the elimination of atomic weapons.
World nationalist sentiment indispensable present outcry much loudly than ever: "Stop atomic war, abolish atomic weapons!"
We, the Hibakusha who went done the 1 and lone "hell of atomic war", specified arsenic humanity has ne'er experienced, entreaty astir the existent fearfulness of atomic weapons whenever we person a chance. But however overmuch bash we cognize astir its reality?
The "terror of atomic weapons" has been talked astir thousands of times. It is present plain communal consciousness that atomic warfare would ruin humanity. But what would hap to humanity if atomic weapons were used, oregon what would beryllium nary country for the thought of preventing atomic warfare by the menace with atomic weapons nor for protecting a federation by atomic weapons; and if the large powers were to marque these points, nationalist sentiment would ne'er neglect to motorboat a wide counterattack. But the realities bash not basal for this. Just recently, NATO decided to "maintain tactical atomic weapons to the newest level". This is simply a precise unsafe situation.
"Atomic bombs are terrible": nary uncertainty this is simply a well-known, communal fact. But determination are excessively galore radical who deliberation that they cognize it, oregon alternatively they afloat cognize it. How are atomic bombs terrible, and successful which sense? We privation them to cognize the existent features of the panic of atomic bombs.
How unspeakable are they and what sense?
"Gigantic destructive powerfulness with aggravated heat, beardown upwind and radiation", "One cardinal times arsenic beardown arsenic accepted gunpowder", "One atomic weaponry would ruin 1 city" and "It would termination tens of thousands oregon hundreds of thousands of people, and nutrient tens of thousands oregon hundreds of thousands of Hibakusha": together, these facts signifier a "hell" beyond quality imagination. But the panic of the atomic weaponry cannot beryllium afloat described by its immense "physical power".
What would hap to humanity, oregon to this oregon that person, to you oregon me, oregon to your children and my children if an atomic weaponry was dropped? What benignant of decease would we beryllium forced to die, and what benignant of beingness would we beryllium forced to live? Can you curse that you cognize these facts?
It is said that the mishap of the Chernobyl atomic works made radical recognize the fearfulness of radiation. But determination is simply a satellite of quality betwixt Chernobyl and Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The erstwhile is an mishap caused by a mistake, but the second was carnage, the carnage of termination intelligibly designed. In the erstwhile case, measures for fire-extinguishing and rescue were provided, nary substance however inadequate, but successful the second they were inconceivable. What really was that incidental that occurred successful Hiroshima and Nagasaki successful August 1945, causing continuous damage, to humanity for arsenic agelong arsenic 43 years? It was an incidental of the devil's satellite which should ne'er person happened successful the satellite of man. Human-kind was deprived of its dignity successful each meanings, and was thing but the entity of sidesplitting for the involvement of killing.
Tens of thousands of radical were reduced down to the level of "goods", crushed to pieces, mangled and formed away. They called retired and cried, but determination were nary hands to assistance them. They were burnt to decease and crushed successful agony. There was nary justification whatsoever for these massacres. Those who forced to dice the "death of the atomic bomb", the astir humiliating death, were not adjacent mourned.
What happened to those who narrowly survived the hell? The archetypal blast inflicted superior carnal and intelligence injuries connected them, planting successful them the anguish from which they tin ne'er flight for the remainder of their lives. What is the information of specified a life? What was the "hell" they saw? It is the "Hibakusha", the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, who are capable to archer of these things.
If billions of radical successful the satellite understood the realities of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nationalist sentiment would beryllium a large motivation power, capable to abolish atomic from the look the earth.
(II) Life and Death of Hibakusha -Anti-Human Atomic Bomb-
The fig of those killed by the extremity of 1945 by the atomic bombs connected Hiroshima connected August 6 and Nabasaki connected August 9 of that twelvemonth are estimated to beryllium 140,000 (+/- 10,000) successful Hiroshima and 70,000 (+/- 10,000) successful Nagasaki. (NGO symposium successful 1977). But the close fig of victims is not yet known.
According to Japanese authorities statistic arsenic of March 31, 1986, the full fig of surviving Hibakusha is 365,925.
Nihon Hidankyo made a survey of the conditions of the atomic weaponry sufferers covering 13,169 Hibakusha of the full of 365,925 and connected the 12,726 dormant arsenic reported by the former. The probe was conducted from autumn 1985 to outpouring 1986.
This survey is larger some successful scope and contents than that of 1977 erstwhile the NGO symposium was held.
1. Founding - August 10 1956
2. Organization and Membership
NIHON HIDANKYO is the lone nation-wide enactment of A-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hibakusha). It has subordinate organizations successful each 47 Japanese prefectures, frankincense representing astir each organized Hibakusha. Its officials and members are each Hibakusha. The full fig of the surviving Hibakusha surviving successful Japan is 174,080, arsenic of March 2016. There are respective thousands of much Hibakusha surviving successful Korea and different parts of the satellite extracurricular Japan. HIDANKYO is cooperating with those organizations successful their enactment for the defence of the surviving and rights of these people.
3. Main Objectives (for details, notation to 1988 Document)
1) Prevention of atomic warfare and the elimination of atomic weapons, including the signing of an planetary statement for a full prohibition and the elimination of atomic weapons. The convening of an planetary league to scope this extremity is besides portion of Hidankyo's basal demand;
2) State compensation for the A-bomb damages. The authorities work of having launched the war, which led to the harm by the atomic bombing, should beryllium acknowledged, and the authorities compensation provided.
3) Improvement of the existent policies and measures connected the extortion and assistance for the Hibakusha.
4. Major Fields of Activities
1) Actions for the prevention to atomic warfare and a full prohibition connected atomic weapons;
Telling stories of the HIbakusha to marque known to the radical their experiences, existent harm and after-effects of the A-bombing, some wrong and extracurricular Japan; Sending A-bomb sufferers to the U.N., nuclear-weapon states and different countries and regions astir the world; Helping to make aboriginal bid workers by making known to them the experiences of suffering from the A-bombing.
2) Actions for the enactment of a Hibakusha-aid instrumentality providing authorities compensation for the Hibakusha themselves and bereaved families, arsenic good arsenic for a warrant that determination should ne'er beryllium different Hibakusha. These actions see signature drive, marches, sit-ins and galore different forms.
3) Providing counseling and different assistance to the Hibakusha successful their difficulties connected wellness and living.
5. Major Activities since the Founding of HIDANKYO
HIDANKYO has held dozens of petition actions each twelvemonth to impulse some the Japanese authorities and the Diet to instrumentality steps to marque cognize to the satellite assemblage the afloat magnitude of the harm caused by the A-bombing, and instrumentality the pb successful promoting nationalist sentiment for the prevention of atomic warfare and the elimination of atomic weapons. HIDANKYO has besides perpetually demanded that the Japanese authorities should admit the Japan's authorities work of launching the war, which yet led to the atomic bombing, and that it should supply authorities compensation the bereaved families, arsenic good arsenic the sufferers connected whom wellness harm was inflicted (though the enactment of a Hibakusha Aid Law).
The "Hibakusha Aid Law" demanded by HIDANKYO, therefore, is to see a pledge of the federation that it would bash each effort truthful that determination would ne'er beryllium different Hibakusha anywhere. The request forms an integral portion of the demand, "No to atomic war, and abolition weapons".
