(Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations)
Gable Bldg. #902 1-3-5 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku Tokyo 105-0012 Japan
Phone: +81-3-3438-1897
Fax: +81-3-3431-2113
Chairpersons: Sunao TSUBOI Senji YAMAGUCHI Nori TOHEI Secretary General: Prof. Terumi TANAKA Assistant General Secretary: Prof. Satoru KONISHI Prof. Mikiso IWASA
Hidenori YAMAMOTO Director of Hibakusha Counseling Center: Dr. Shuntaro HIDA Address: Gable Bldg. #902, 1-3-5 Shiba-Daimon Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0012 Japan
Message to the world Chronology Nomination for Nobel Peace Prize
NIHON HIDANKYO is the only nation-wide organization of A-bomb survivors
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Hibakusha). It has member organizations in all
47 Japanese prefectures, thus representing almost all organized Hibakusha.
Its officials and members are all Hibakusha. The total number of the surviving
Hibakusha living in Japan is about 300,000, as of March 1999. There
are several thousands of more Hibakusha living in Korea and other parts
of the world outside Japan. HIDANKYO is cooperating with those organizations
in their work for the defense of the living and rights of these people.
1) Prevention of nuclear war and the elimination of nuclear weapons,
including the signing of an international agreement for a total ban and
the elimination of nuclear weapons. The convening of an international conference
to reach this goal is also part of Hidankyo's basic demand;
2) State compensation for the A-bomb damages. The state responsibility of having launched the war, which led to the damage by the atomic bombing, should be acknowledged, and the state compensation provided.
3) Improvement of the current policies and measures on the protection
and assistance for the Hibakusha.
1) Actions for the prevention to nuclear war and a total ban on
nuclear weapons;
Telling stories of the HIbakusha to make known to the people their experiences, actual damage and after-effects of the A-bombing, both within and outside Japan; Sending A-bomb sufferers to the U.N., nuclear-weapon states and other countries and regions around the world; Helping to develop future peace workers by making known to them the experiences of suffering from the A-bombing.
2) Actions for the enactment of a Hibakusha-aid law providing state compensation for the Hibakusha themselves and bereaved families, as well as for a guarantee that there should never be another Hibakusha. These actions include signature drive, marches, sit-ins and many other forms.
3) Providing counseling and other assistance to the Hibakusha in their
difficulties on health and living.
HIDANKYO has held dozens of petition actions every year to urge
both the Japanese government and the Diet to take steps to make know to
the world community the full dimension of the damage caused by the A-bombing,
and take the lead in promoting public opinion for the prevention of nuclear
war and the elimination of nuclear weapons. HIDANKYO has also constantly
demanded that the Japanese government should admit the Japan's state responsibility
of launching the war, which eventually led to the atomic bombing, and that
it should provide state compensation the bereaved families, as well as
the sufferers on whom health damage was inflicted (though the enactment
of a Hibakusha Aid Law).
The "Hibakusha Aid Law" demanded by HIDANKYO, therefore, is to include
a pledge of the nation that it would do every effort so that there would
never be another Hibakusha anywhere. The demand forms an integral part
of the demand, "No to nuclear war, and abolition weapons".
While refusing to admit its war responsibility, the Japanese government
and other state organs have had to concede to the demands of the Hibakusha,
such as: enacting the "A-bomb Victims Medical Care Law" in 1956 and the
"Law on Special Measures (for Sufferers)" in 1967. In December 1994, a
law named "Hibakusha Aid Law" was adopted, though this law neither provides
state compensation nor admits the war responsibility of the state. HIDANKYO
continues its legislative campaign, demanding a system for state compensation.
Some major projects in which HIDANKYO has taken active part include the preparation for the NGO International Symposium (to be referred to later) in 1977, and during and after the 1980s, survey on the "Fundamental Demands of the A-bomb Victims (prevention of nuclear war, elimination of nuclear weapons and Hibakusha Aid Law)", and nation-wide campaign to reach these goals.
In the movement to establish the Hibakusha Aid Law, HIDANKYO canvassed
and obtained the endorsement signatures from more than two-thirds of all
Diet members, as well as the resolutions adopted by some 75% of all Japanese
local assemblies. The number of signatures collected nation-wide in the
1980s and 1990s has totaled over 20 million.
HIDANKYO is playing a major role in the movement against A and H bombs. Not only taking part in a number of peace events during summer, HIDANKYO sends its representatives all over Japan, who bear witness to their A-bomb experiences, helping to promote the public opinion for a ban and the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Internationally, HIDANKYO sends many Hibakusha to other countries, who
appeal the prevention of nuclear war and the abolition of nuclear arms,
and inform people around the world of the damage caused by the A-bomb damage,
thus helping to develop peace movement everywhere in the world. By these
contributions, HIDANKYO was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize,
in 1985 and 1994.(For details: Nomination for
Nobel Prize)
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