A-Bomb Survivors March In New York Ahead Of Nuclear Treaty Review Confab

NEW YORK, April 27 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Survivors of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki marched through New York on Sunday, chanting "No more Hiroshimas, no more Nagasakis" and calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, ahead of a major nuclear disarmament conference in the city.

Before the procession, Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings, also known as hibakusha, were joined by US peace activists and others in front of the New York Public Library in singing the Japanese anti-atomic bomb song "Genbaku o Yurusumaji", Kyodo News reported.

The group then headed toward the United Nations headquarters, stretching for about 100 metres. They chanted the slogan while beating drums and ringing bells, drawing the attention of pedestrians and people in nearby stores, including some who took pictures of the procession on their smartphones.

"I want them to listen, even just for a moment, and to feel that they want to eliminate even one nuclear weapon," said Yua Saitsu, a 17-year-old high school peace messenger from Nagasaki.

The hibakusha and activists are in New York for a conference at the United Nations to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty starting Monday, which is generally held every five years.

At the conference's session for non-governmental organisations, the scheduled speakers include the secretary general of Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading atomic bomb survivors group; the governor of Hiroshima Prefecture; as well as the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Tadako Kawazoe, an 82-year-old survivor of the Nagasaki bombing, said, "We must continue raising our voices so the NPT returns to its founding principle: preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons."

After the march, Kunihiko Sakuma, the 81-year-old head of a Hiroshima-based group supporting survivors and himself an A-bomb victim, said, "I walked remembering other anti-nuclear activists who have already passed away, as well as the victims of the bombing."

Second-generation atomic bomb victim Kazumi Maeda, who is 72 and from Saga Prefecture, said she "sensed strong public interest" during the procession, as people waved and gave thumbs-ups to the marchers.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO