NUCLEAR WEAPONS; THE WORLD NEEDS A MANDELA

While Sri Lankans focus mainly on the August 17 general election, we also need to look beyond, and become aware of the catastrophe facing the whole world because of environmental pollution and the equally devastating self destructive nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Nine countries, including the rogue state of North Korea, have enough nuclear weapons to blast the whole world to pieces. The threat became more explosive recently when the tough talking Russian President Vladmir Putin—perhaps dreaming of rebuilding the Soviet empire—warned that his country would consider the nuclear option if the dispute with the western powers over Ukraine reached a showdown. The American Broadcasting Company’s (ABC) chilling 1983 teledrama, ‘The Day After’— reported to have the then biggest ever TV audience of about 100 million, showed the shattering impact of what could happen when two rival countries used nuclear bombs.

Yesterday was the 70th year commemoration of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic holocaust. Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects of the atomic attacks killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 39,000–80,000 in Nagasaki. Roughly half of the deaths in each city occurred on the first day. During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries, compounded by illness and malnutrition. In both cities, most of the dead were civilians, although Hiroshima had a sizable military garrison.

Even after so many decades, we continue to see the catastrophic health impact from the use of nuclear weapons on these two cities

Seven decades after this apocalyptic catastrophe, Japanese Red Cross Society hospitals are still treating thousands of survivors for long-term health effects, with nearly two-thirds of deaths among them due to cancer.

“Even after so many decades, we continue to see the catastrophic health impact from the use of nuclear weapons on these two cities. What more compelling argument could there be for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, especially as most of the bombs in the arsenals of nuclear armed states today are more powerful and destructive,” said ICRC President Peter Maurer.

With nearly 200,000 survivors still alive it is expected that many thousands will continue to need care for radiation related illnesses in the coming years, while the psychological impact of the bombings continues to haunt even those survivors not physically ill. “This commemoration is a reminder of the indiscriminate humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. It is a reminder that these consequences travel across space and time and that, once unleashed, they can never be contained,” said Tadateru Konoé, the President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. He represented the Movement at Peace Memorial Ceremonies in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Last year alone, the Japanese Red Cross Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Survivors Hospitals treated 4,657 and 6,030 survivors.

Sri Lanka’s most eminent Jurist Justice C. G. Weeramantry former Senior Vice President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is leading a world campaign for a declaration that the possession of nuclear weapons is illegal. This declaration could even come from the ICJ which has mandatory powers.

Last month, virtually the whole world except the hard line Israel and the equally hard line right-wingers of the United States—hailed the agreement between western powers and Iran. Whereby Iran assured it would not manufacture nuclear bombs while the west agreed to lift crippling economic sanctions against Tehran.

The 70th commemoration of the atomic bombings comes just months after the failure of the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. They failed to agree on moves towards their elimination.

This must happen and one possibility experts are thinking of is that US President Barak Obama - now playing for the history books - might make such a move which would not only justify his Nobel Peace Prize but give him a place in history along with the legendary Abraham Lincoln and South Africa’s Nelson Mandela who inspired his country to eliminate nuclear weapons.