日本被団協

About Hidankyo

October 24, 2001

His Excellency George W. Bush
The President
The United States of America

Letter of Appeal

We, the survivors of the hell of the atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, urgently call on you. We, who experienced the largest massacre in human history, denounce with anger the September 11 terrorist attacks. In the meantime we cannot restrain our great fear for the campaign now being developed in Afghanistan. We express our thought on the matter in the enclosed two statements (released on September 28 and October 15 respectively).

As the survivors who have been compelled to live in pain beyond description, we share your anger against the terrorists and mourn for the victims of the attacks. Nevertheless, we cannot accept the "retaliatory" act against the terrorists that you have launched. Retaliating with violence only breeds more violence.

We heartily urge you to halt the retaliatory "war" immediately.

We also request the following that we have repeatedly called on you:

1. Immediately fulfill the "unequivocal undertaking" to achieve a complete abolishment of one's own nuclear weapons that five nuclear powers including the US agreed at the NPT Review Conference in May last year, then the UN General Assembly last autumn.

2. Convene an international conference and conclude an international treaty for eliminating nuclear weapons on your own initiative.

3. Cancel all the testing including subcritical test, research and development of nuclear arms.

4. Promote to ratify the CTBT.
Abandon the policies of reviewing the ABM treaty and promoting the missile defense programs that turn your back on eliminating nuclear arsenals.

5. Never bring nuclear weapons to Japan. In case nuclear arms, nuclear weapon loaded ships or planes have already been brought to Japan, immediately withdraw them.

Sunao Tsuboi 　　　　　Senji Yamaguchi 　　　　　Nori Tohei
Co-chairperson 　　　　Co-chairperson 　　　　Co-chairperson

Hidankyo statement, Sep. 28　　　 Oct. 15 statement