August 4 2010
Hiroshima & Nagasaki 1945 - 2010
Across Wales - Nuclear Bomb
Victims Remembered
This week, people in Wales will join with others all over the world in remembering the 65th anniversary of the August 6th 1945 devastation of Hiroshima when a US atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city. Three days later a second US nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Over 250,000 people were killed by heat, blast, fire and radiation. Contrary to what was claimed at the time, the dropping of these two nuclear bombs did not end the 1939 -1945 war (1).
Jill Evans MEP and Chair of CND Cymru will speak on the National Eisteddfod Maes at an event to remember the foolishness and cruelty inherent in the development, deployment and use of nuclear weapons. She will reiterate the feelings of the majority of people in Wales, that such weapons of mass destruction (2) are neither needed nor wanted.
Jill Evans said,
“Nuclear weapons are immoral and internationally illegal. They don't defend us against the real threats we face but make the world a more dangerous place. At a time when everyone is talking about cuts in public services, we are calling on the British government to make the easiest and most far reaching cut of all – British nuclear weapons. Trident and its planned replacement have no role in building the sustainable economy we need. It is simply common sense.”
British people are facing increased taxation and stringent cuts in public services; yet the British Government spends over £2 billion a year (3) on the Trident nuclear weapons system and is planning to spend even more on replacing it with new nuclear weapons.
Costly plans, already going ahead at AWE Aldermaston to replace Trident with new nuclear weapons will cost the British Taxpayer at least a further £76 billion (4).
Any use of nuclear weapons would be socially, environmentally and politically catastrophic.
Ms. Evans added,
“On the 65th anniversary of the devastation of Hiroshima, what could be a more fitting memorial to all those who lost their lives than for the British government to scrap Trident. What a wonderful message of peace that would send to the world.”
Many across Wales will be remembering those who suffered and continue to suffer as a result of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. At the same time, campaigners for peace and justice urge everyone to speak out against nuclear weapons, which offer no security from climate change, soaring food prices, resource depletion, disease or poverty and homelessness across the world.
(Other commemorative events taking place throughout Wales are listed below.)
CND Cymru calls upon the British Government to make a commitment that British Government will neither use, threaten to use, nor develop new nuclear weapons, and will take immediate steps for their abolition.
ENDS
Interviews will be available on the Eisteddfod Maes. 7 August. The CND Cymru commemoration begins at 12pm at the CND Cymru/Peace tent (705-6). Picture editors: There will be banners and singing.
For Comment/interviews in advance Contact:
CND Cymru National Secretary Jill Gough
t: 01239 85 11 88 m:01239 85 11 88 heddwch@cndcymru.org
CND Cymru Chair Jill Evans MEP
t: 01443 440 999 m:07803 902 401
CND Cymru Vice Chair
Dr.John Cox 01495 773 495 e: drjohncox@aol.com 07940582593
Some Hiroshima/Nagasaki Commemorative Events in Wales:
National Eisteddfod, Blaenau Gwent August 6th 10am Pabell Cytûn: Cymdeithas y Cymod Remembrance Service 10am. All welcome. m: 07799 505176
Newport (Pembrokeshire) August 6th 8.30 for 8.45pm Meet: white iron bridge, to sail candle boats down the river after spoken contributions of different types in Welsh and English and rendition of Dona Nobis Pacem. Details from Ros t: 01239 821 129 or Robbie 01239 615 921 e: r_manson@sky.com
Newport (Gwent) (Tredegar House Lakeside) August 6th 6:30 – 7:00 pm
Commemoration with shared poems and readings. Everyone invited to bring flowers to strew on the lake. Contact: Ingrid Wilson m: 07976 267367 iw@ideasuk.co.uk
Cardiff (Roath Park Lake) August 6th t: 02920 889 514 m:07845 982 238
Llandrindod August 6th (Peace Garden) 12 noon Tree planting Llandrindod CND This year’s tree is a Broom bush kindly donated by Brian & Marion Lopez. Contact Vi Shenton t: 01597 829 303
Chester August 6th 8.00pm (The Groves) Readings, silent reflection and the dropping of white flowers on the river. t: 01244 679 051 dai.owen@virgin.net
National Eisteddfod Blaenau Gwent August 7th
Meet: Y Pabell Heddwch (CND Cymru Tent nos: 705-6)
12pm Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki – Scrap all Nuclear Weapons Now – and let it begin here!
Walk around Maes with banners followed by address by Jill Evans at Y Pabell and singing from Côr Cochion.
More information from CND Cymru heddwch@cndcymru.org m:07704 67 57 87 t:01239 85 11 88
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(1) Contrary to what was claimed at the time and the story that is usually told, it is widely agreed the bombs did not end the war.
"It would be a mistake to suppose that the fate of Japan was settled by the atomic bomb. Her defeat was certain before the first bomb fell. "
(Winston Churchill British Prime Minister).
"Japan was at that very moment seeking some way to surrender with minimum loss of face. It was not necessary to hit them with that awful thing"
(US President Dwight Eisenhower)
(2) The total yield of the 200 nuclear warheads now deployed on the 4 British Trident submarines is around 14.4 megatons, which is roughly equivalent to 1,000 times the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
(3) Running costs of existing Trident 2007-2023: £26-31 billion Keith Hartley, ‘The Economics of UK Nuclear Weapons Policy’, International Affairs, Vol. 82, No.4, pp.675-684, for military equipment a 10% rise in real terms each year is suggested, p. 684)
(4) http://www.cnduk.org/images/stories/briefings/trident/cost_british_nweapons_07.pdf Aldermaston: www.aldermaston.net/awe
(5) A concise discussion of some of the cost increases which have emerged since the 2006 White Paper in the latest briefing sent out to MPs: http://www.cnduk.org/images/stories/briefings/trident/parlcndtridentsdsr_june2010.pdf
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