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Letter to Prime Minister of India

Hidankyo sent a letter to Indian Prime Minister Atal B. Vajpayee protesting the underground nuclear tests conducted on May 11.

On the thirteenth, 22 Hidankyo members protested in front of the embassy of India in Tokyo, where Mr. Tohei, Secretary General of Hidankyo, handed over the letter of protest.

The text of the letter is as follows.

May 12 1998

Mr. Atal B. Vajpayee
Prime Minister of the Republic of India

On March 31 , we, Hibakusha (atomic bomb sufferers), called on you to review your defense policy which "will exercise the option to induct nuclear weapons" and maintain the policy for the abolition of nuclear weapons as India has pursued.

Nevertheless, you conducted underground nuclear tests on May 11. We, Hibakusha in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first A-bomb sufferers in the world, strongly protest the tests. These tests seriously defy to the public opinion for abolition of nuclear weapons.

Because of our own experiences, we have made appeals to the people in the world that nuclear weapons are not only brutal and inhuman but also "evil arms" never living with. We strongly demand to change the nuclear deterrence policy without delay so that Hibakusha will not be created any more.

Hibakusha, who have suffered for 53 years, demand to all nuclear weapons states including India as follows.

1. To listen to the voices of Hibakusha in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and inform the people in every country on the real features of atomic bombing.

2. To conclude a treaty for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

On behalf of Japan Confederation of A- & H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations
Sakae Ito, Co-chairperson
Senji Yamaguchi, Co-chairperson
Takeshi Ito, Co-chairperson
Nori Tohei, Secretary General of Hidankyo

Home Page    For abolition of nuclear weapons