Hiroshima anniversary a reminder that peace is the best self defence – Greenpeace

Tokyo, 6 August,2015 – Greenpeace Japan commemorates the dropping of the nuclear bomb onHiroshima 70 years ago today, and warns against the current government’sdismantling of Japan’s so-called peace constitution and the risks of nuclearpower.

“The trauma feltby Japanese people after the Fukushima accident – and also by thousands ofpeople affected by other nuclear disasters, such as Chernobyl – should neveragain be endured, which is why we firmly believe that peace – not war – is thebest form of self defence,” said Junichi Sato, Greenpeace Japan ExecutiveDirector.

“But sadly, weare seeing this tradition in Japan being reoded by the Abe government as itbegins to dismantle the so-called peace constitution and doggedly pursuenuclear power at the expence of clean, safe renewables.”

Drafted byoccupying U.S. officials in 1946, the constitution renounced the right to wagewar or maintain armed forces and enshrined democracy and human rights. A billpassed through the Lower House on July this year, and the Upper House hasalready begun discussions on legislation which could roll back some of theprovisions in the constitution allowing the country to participate in the warsof allied nations.

“The horror ofthese bombings should be taken as a warning of the threats of nuclear weapons,but instead, the government is locking Japan into a nuclear future. Whether formilitary or civil purposes, nuclear energy is never peaceful. It carries thethreat of nuclear weapons development, and as the 2011 Fukushima disasterdemonstrated to the world, nuclear energy is neither safe, nor clean,” saidJunichi.

Greenpeace Japanrevealed last month that radiation in one of the most contaminated districts isstill so widespread and at such a high level that those who were evacuatedcannot return home safely, despite decontamination efforts. The people ofFukushima are continuing to pay the price for Abe’s fixation on nuclear power.Greenpeace Japan urges the government halt all nuclear restarts in the country.