In a dramatic day in New York, the NPT conference gave space to civil society organisations to present papers for the consideration of the State’s party to the NPT. A Hibakusha – a bomb survivor – gave a harrowing account of what it is like to survive an atomic explosion while making sure the entire room of delegates could see the photograph of the devastating burns on his back.
Nobel Peace Prize winner, Jody Williams who fought for the Mine Ban Treaty opened the session explaining how other weapons treaties were brought in despite initially stiff resistance from some States, saying, *“In 1997 with successful negotiation of the Mine Ban Treaty and then again in 2008 with the Cluster Munition Convention, the world recognized that total elimination was the only way to ensure non-use and non-proliferation of those conventional weapons that by their very nature undeniably posed too grave a danger to civilians.”*
Predicting the thoughts of anti-abolitionists in the room she added, *“Nuclear weapons are not–nor can they be allowed to be–the exception”.*
Williams called on a coalition of Governments and Civil Society to pave the way for negotiations for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, *“It is time for all governments to come together–with the support of civil society around the world–to chart our course to a nuclear free future by beginning the negotiation of a comprehensive treaty banning the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of nuclear weapons. Now. Not in years or decades. Now.”*
Again, pre-empting the arguments of those who want to take a slowly-slowly approach she countered, *“It is specious now to maintain that it is premature to negotiate the elimination of nuclear weapons–creations of such heinous violence that they almost defy the imagination,”* and then pointed out, *“Governments can change their positions seemingly in a heartbeat. Particularly in response to collective pressure by civil society.”*
Civil society organisations maintain that all the precedents are in place to move immediately to a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. For those who say it undermines article 6 of the NPT which calls on disarmament, they counter that article 5 was made obsolete by ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban treaty, and for those who say that a treaty is unworkable, they counter that Jody Williams’ work on the Mine Ban Treaty proves that a treaty can work. As the Nobel Laureate pointed out, *“In other words, it has been done before with other weapons of mass destruction. It can be done again with nuclear weapons.”*
Praising the promising words since the Obama Administration came to power she concluded, *“We cannot squander the promise of the past few years.”*
Survivor’s Statement
Taniguchi Sumiteru was a 16 year old boy on the morning of August 9th, 1945. *“When the bomb exploded, I was burned on my entire back by the intense heat rays of 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Celsius, and also exposed to invisible radiation. The next moment, together with my bike I was blown about 4 meters and smashed to the ground by the bomb blast.”*
Disorientated and seeing bodies all around him he eventually found someone to help, *“I asked a woman to tear off the burnt skin dangling from my arms.”*
Carried out of the city and left in the trees where the US airforce continued to fire at the survivors from their planes somehow he survived the night. *“At night there was a drizzling rain. I sucked the water dripping from the leaves and spent the night. When the morning came, I found all who were around me were already dead.”*
Somehow the boy was rescued 2 days later and taken to a makeshift hospital where there were no supplies to treat his injuries. After a year the wounds began to rot and maggots would torture him. *“Helplessly lying on my stomach in excruciating pain and agony I was crying, ‘Kill me!’ No one believed that I would survive another day. Every morning, I would hear doctors and nurses whisper at my bedside, ‘He’s still alive.’”*
Finally, *“after 3 years and 7 months I was discharged from the hospital, though I was not completely cured.”*
This was not the end of Taniguchi’s torment, *“Around 1982 tumors started to develop on the keloid scars on my back and they had to be removed by surgery.”*
Since then he has suffered numerous operations to remove various tumours.
In his presentation to the delegates he voices his fear of when the Hibakusha have all gone. *“I fear that forgotten memories might lead us to a renewed affirmation of atomic bombs.”
“But those of you who are here today, please don’t turn your eyes away from me. Please look at me again. I have survived miraculously, but for me, to “live” was to “endure the agony.” The atomic bomb survivors, who reached the maximum number of 380,000 at one time, have now decreased to 230,000. Bearing the cursed scars of the atomic bomb all over our bodies, we the Hibakusha continue to live in pain.”*
Concluding his statement with delegates listening and watching in rapt attention, he pointed out what is obvious for civil society, *“Having gone through the first hell of nuclear war in August 65 years ago, we learned the horror of nuclear weapons instinctively. There is no defense against nuclear attacks, and there can be no “retaliation” against them. If a nuclear weapon is to be used for the third time, it would immediately lead to the annihilation of human beings and the end of all life on planet earth.”*
Taniguchi received a standing ovation for his bravery by delegates and Civil Society representatives alike. It can only be hoped that the image of the young boy’s injuries are burned into the diplomats’ consciousness as they struggle to find the way to make progress at the 8th NPT review conference.
