"Don't repeat the mistakes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." A-bomb survivors who have experienced unimaginable damage from the atomic bomb, also known as "living hell," have appealed to the world for 77 years.
Now, Russia's military invasion of Ukraine continues, and President Putin threatens to flicker the possibility of using nuclear weapons.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed a strong sense of crisis, saying, "A conflict using nuclear weapons that was once unthinkable is now possible."
A series that introduces messages that can only be conveyed in Japan, the only country that has been exposed to the war.
The fourth time is from Hiroshima.
Haruko Moritaki (83), who has been appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons in the atomic bombed area of Hiroshima for many years.
She is the second daughter of the late Ichiro Moritaki, the first deputy director of the Hiroshima Prefectural Atomic Bomb Association, who made an effort to support the atomic bomb survivors with the phrase, "Nuclear and humankind cannot coexist."
Moritaki who took over her activities after Ichiro's death.
He has visited countries around the world, such as uranium mines and nuclear test sites, and has been close to people suffering from nuclear damage and has continued to appeal to the world that "nuclear weapons and humankind cannot coexist."
In collaboration with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning international NGO "ICAN" = International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, we have greatly contributed to the establishment of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
As he suffered from cancer and continued to fight against illness, he protested Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome on March 8, and complained that he would not allow the use of nuclear weapons.
We asked Mr. Moritaki about his thoughts.
* The following "" is a comment by Mr. Moritaki.
"The right to kill people, no one has more voice"
How do you perceive Russia's military invasion of Ukraine?
"Looking at the suffering and tears of those who suffer unilaterally in Ukraine, I think it's really inhumane and no more bad politics to be able to cause that kind of thing.
People have the right to kill people . Nobody.
Nobody
. I'm
wondering why this is allowed. In
Ukraine, I attacked bad children, mothers, pregnant women, and the elderly from the sky. Dropping a bomb.
I think we have to say more and more about who has that right. "
"Humanity must rethink how to deal with nuclear weapons."
What do you think of President Putin's remarks that flicker the possibility of using nuclear weapons?
"For many years, everything that has come to us with the idea that if nuclear weapons are used, humankind cannot survive.
The small nuclear weapons used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, humans, and the environment I think the world should have learned that such a disaster will occur.
Therefore, we have fought together with each other all over the world for the Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty.
It is not possible for human beings to sit down and be buried, so if we do not bury the nuclear weapons, human beings will be destroyed by the nuclear weapons. That is what is happening
in
front of us. The
nuclear weapons are being attacked.
If you make a mistake, you will suffer even more serious damage than at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
I think it will be late after such a disaster.
How do you deal with it?
I think it's really ridiculously difficult, but I am keenly aware that humankind is in a situation where it is necessary to reconsider how to deal with nuclear weapons. "
"The existence of nuclear weapons is an excuse for attacks."
What do you think of "nuclear deterrence", which uses nuclear weapons to scare opponents and discourage attacks?
"'Nuclear deterrence' means, on the premise of the act of'using nuclear weapons', that it threatens to give in to the other party or give up the attack.
The chief officer of one country is the nuclear weapon .
Many people evade that the ability to press the button is a deterrent to the world's war, but I think the opposite is true.
The existence of nuclear weapons is the target of the attack .
It's an excuse for attacking. "
"Nuclear Victims Standing in the position of war victims Face to face"
How do you feel about the opinion that "nuclear sharing" should be discussed?
"Don't take advantage of the current state of the war to immediately bring up the theory of nuclear sharing, or bring up the discussion of reviewing the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, or deal with the issue of nuclear weapons in that way.
What happens if nuclear weapons are used?
Without that perspective, I think it is essentially impossible to stop the current war.
For that purpose, it is most necessary to stand in the position of a nuclear victim and a war victim, and to face it directly. I feel that this perspective is lacking. "
<Discussion on Nuclear Sharing>
Regarding" nuclear sharing, "which shares US nuclear weapons with allies, former Prime Minister Abe of the LDP said in February," The lives of the people. We should discuss how we can protect ourselves with a firm eye on various options, "he said. He said that Japan should also discuss without looking taboo.
In addition, the Nippon Ishin no Kai recommended to the government on March 3 to start discussions.
On the other hand, the government has a policy of adhering to the three non-nuclear principles of "do not have, do not make, do not bring in", and said that nuclear sharing is not allowed. It is not recognized even from the legal system such as the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and the Atomic Energy Basic Law. I do not think about the discussion of nuclear sharing because I think that "extended deterrence" is working under the Japan-US alliance. " I am.
"Nuclear weapons and humankind cannot coexist"
Mr. Moritaki has always sent out to the world with the keyword "solidarity".
What do you think is the necessary move now?
"I think it's a very simple and clear thing, one is against war and the other is not to use nuclear weapons. I think
Hiroshima must create a movement that has such a common understanding. Shin.
What we can do now is to continue to do so from Hiroshima in a way that we can somehow send it to the world.
I will always convey the experience and reality of Hiroshima about how dangerous nuclear weapons themselves are . I
started with something like an anti-nuclear pilgrimage
, but I went to various countries and it seems that the theme is different one by one, such as the problem of deteriorated uranium, the problem of nuclear weapons, the problem of uranium mines, etc. The underlying thing is that Hiroshima, after the atomic bombing, said that "nuclear weapons and humankind cannot coexist".
I want to spread that awareness to everyone
. We have to make an effort to spread awareness like a chain reaction by "solidarity".
Anyway, even if we try to stop the war with everyone's power and solidarity, we will not use nuclear weapons there, absolutely for nuclear war I don't think I should do it.
I want to say, "Let's all get up anyway."
You can see the series so far from the link below.
Part 1: Russia's military invasion The threat of nuclear weapons "Blood freezes" thoughts of A-bomb survivors
The second: "No good things are bad" Message from university students working on the abolition of nuclear weapons
The third: "Maybe it really repeats" A-bomb survivors appealing for the abolition of nuclear weapons What I think now