A-bomb survivors delighted at Obama winning Nobel Peace Prize

[struggle4progress]

HIROSHIMA/NAGASAKI, Oct 10 (Kyodo) - ... ''It was encouraging,'' said 84-year-old Sunao Tsuboi, who heads Nihon Hidankyo, or the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, in Hiroshima.

''I hope the president will go full-out for a world without nuclear weapons" ...

Akihiro Takahashi, a former president of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, said, ''It's fantastic that the prize was given for the Prague speech receiving recognition.'' ''I want to send a letter to the president to ask him to continue and further emphasize his efforts to abolish all nuclear arms, and come visit Hiroshima,'' the 78-year-old said.

Emiko Okada, 72, who is engaged in sharing her hibakusha experience in the United States and elsewhere, said, ''It was surprise news. I feel like the light is coming to the dark and flowers are bursting out. No one will oppose the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons any longer.'' In Nagasaki, Hirotami Yamada of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council said, ''It's very encouraging for our campaigns that the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize made clear that eliminating nuclear weapons is the right thing.'' Former Nagasaki University President Hideo Tsuchiyama, who is now a member of the Committee of Seven for World Peace that groups leading Japanese intellectuals, said, ''The United States as a powerful country should take the leadership on nuclear issues.'' ''We've been collecting signatures to ask him to visit the (two) cities, and he now deserves such a visit not only as the U.S. president but also as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate,'' he said. (Kyodo)

http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=12228

[BlooInBloo]

1. :)

[struggle4progress]

2. Hiroshima, Nagasaki mayors congratulate Obama on Nobel win

... "I'm so happy. I think the prize is an encouragement for realizing a world without nuclear weapons," said Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba during a press conference on Friday.

Akiba is known for coining the term "Obamajority," referring to the world's majority wishing for nuclear abolition, during his speech at the preparation committee for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York in May.

"The Nobel Prize has an aspect of representing the voices of citizens and countries in the world, and I believe the latest prize represents the sentiment and resolve of the Obamajority," Akiba stressed on Friday.

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue, who has requested President Obama visit Nagasaki, said, "(President Obama) is the best qualified person to receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize ...

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20091010p2a00m0na003000c.html

[davidpdx]

3. The sad thing is there is internal debate within Japan whether

the country should again rearm itself for either defensive or offensive capability regardless of the WWII agreements. It would also leave the question open as to whether those weapons would include ones with nuclear capability. Japan would easily have the capability to build a nuclear bomb and the material from its nuclear power plants. It would be a shame and disservice to those who survived the two bombings if Japan did so. I also believe it would start an arms race in Asia. Granted this all happened under the previous conservative government, so that could quite possibly get dropped unless the new government screws up and loses power.

[Cha]

4. More positive input from the International

Community! Thanks, struggle~ See that, greenwald? The International Community.

[Tarheel_Dem]

5. Recommended. (nt)