Dispatches from Nagasaki No.11
Nagasaki City sends letter of protest to U.S. government over nuclear-weapon capability tests; Nagasaki atomic bombing survivors stage sit-in at the Peace Park
(Nov.30, 2014)After hearing that the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) had conducted two tests for nuclear-weapons capability since September, Nagasaki Mayor Tomohisa Taue sent a letter of protest addressed to President Obama to the U.S. Embassy in Japan. According to news reports, Mayor Taue stated that “as representative of the citizens of Nagasaki citizens I strongly protest (these actions) and demand an end to all nuclear weapons tests, nuclear-weapon capability testing included.” He went on to say, “I firmly request that you exercise leadership in earnest attempts to reduce nuclear arsenals and bring about the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons at the earliest possible date” (Mainichi Shimbun, Nov. 5, 2014).
Nagasaki City sends a letter of protest each time the U.S. conducts a nuclear-weapon capability test. The tenth such test was carried out in October of 2013 and the recent test was the eleventh.
In response, approximately 250 Nagasaki atomic bombing survivors staged a sit-in at the Nagasaki Peace Park on November 9 in order to protest against the nuclear-weapon capability tests carried out by the U.S. in September and October. The sit-in came into effect after word was put out by groups such as the Nagasaki Citizens Association for Protesting U.S. Nuclear Testing and the Nagasaki Prefectural Peace Movement Center. All those in attendance observed a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m., the time when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Mr. Hirotami Yamada, president of the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Council, was quoted as saying, “We cannot overlook these (nuclear weapons tests). We must raise our voices in Japan and express our heartfelt anger at America and a Japanese government that fails to offer any protestations.” A document of protest stating that “tests such as these lead to the development of new nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation” was adopted by the assembly and sent to the U.S. Embassy in Japan (Tokyo). In a separate letter of protest criticisms were aimed at U.S. President Obama, who was told to “act more in accordance with the advocacy of “a world free of nuclear weapons” that led to (his) receiving the Nobel Peace Prize” (Kyodo News, Jiji Press etc. Nov. 9, 2014; Nagasaki Shimbun, Nov. 11, 2014).
米核性能実験に長崎市抗議文を米政府に送付、長崎被爆者ら平和公園で座り込み
(2014年11月30日)米国家核安全保障局（ＮＮＳＡ）が核兵器の性能実験を９月以降に２回実施したと明らかにしたことを受け、長崎市の田上富久市長は４日、オバマ米大統領宛ての抗議文を在日米大使館に送った。報道によると、田上市長は「これまでも核性能実験も含めたすべての核実験を実施しないよう要請しており、長崎市民を代表して厳重に抗議する」とし、「核軍縮に真摯（しんし）に取り組み、一日も早い『核兵器のない世界』の実現のために、主導的役割を果たされるよう強く求める」と訴えた。（毎日新聞、2014年11月5日）
長崎市はこれまでに米国の核性能試験に対し毎回抗議文をおくっており、２０１３年１０月に１０回目、今回は１１回目となる。
一方、長崎の被爆者ら約２５０人は９日、９～１０月に米国の核性能実験実施に反対して、長崎市の平和公園で抗議の座り込みをした。核実験に抗議する長崎市民の会や、県平和運動センターなどの呼びかけで実施。原爆投下時刻の午前１１時２分に全員で黙とうをささげ、報道によると、長崎原爆被災者協議会の山田拓民事務局長は「（核実験を）見過ごしてはいけない。日本から声をあげ、心の底からの怒りを米国と、米国に抗議しない日本政府にぶつけなればならない」と述べた。集会では「実験は新たな核兵器の開発や核拡散につながる」などとする抗議文を採択し、在日米大使館（東京）に送った。別の抗議文ではオバマ米大統領に対し、「核兵器なき世界」を提唱してノーベル平和賞を受賞したことを自覚して行動すべきだと批判した、と報じられている。（共同通信、時事通信等、２０１４年１１月９日）（長崎新聞 ２０１４年１１月１１日）
