TRANSCRIPT
In 1945, Terumi Tanaka survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki.
Almost 80 years later, he, alongside other members of the atomic bomb survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo, are being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Accepting the prestigious award on behalf of the group are the three co-chairs, Terumi Tanaka, Shigemitsu Tanaka and Toshiyuki Mimaki.
Terumi Tanaka says while it is an honour, it comes at a time when the severity of nuclear warfare is being taken too lightly.
“It is very unfortunate that we have come to an era where the use of nuclear weapons is being referred to so lightly, and it makes me really sad. Also, as we are getting older, we have felt a strong sense of urgency to do something about this. In such a time, being awarded by the Nobel Committee brings us a great joy.”
The US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 killed around 214,000 people.
Those who survived the attacks suffered long term consequences like radiation sickness and elevated risks of cancer.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly made nuclear threats in a bid to win the war.
In late November this year, Russia fired a missile designed to be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
Last week, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters that Russia will use any means necessary to defend Russia.
“The United States and the allies of the United States who also provide these long range weapons to the Kyiv regime, they must understand that we would be ready to use any means not to allow them to succeed in what they call ‘strategic defeat of Russia'.”
The atomic bomb survivors group, Nihon Hidankyo, is a grassroots anti nuclear organisation and was established in 1956.
The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the only times such weapons have been used in history.
Terumi Tanaka says Vladimir Putin does not truly understand the gravity of what he is threatening.
“I don’t think that (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin has ever truly thought about or understood what nuclear weapons are, or what kind of weapons they are for human beings. The greatest challenge, I think, is how we can change his way of thinking and whether we can change it or not.”]]
Currently, nine countries have nuclear weapons, Britain, China, France, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, the United States, and, unofficially, Israel.
A report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute in June found that amid rising geopolitical tensions, nuclear powers are working to modernise their arsenals.
The report found that of the estimated 12,121 nuclear warheads around the world, about 9,585 were in stockpiles for potential use.
Nihon Hidankyo co-chair Toshiyuki Mimaki says the use of nuclear weapons must be understood as morally unacceptable.
“I despise both war and nuclear weapons. We hope that it will be this message of peace that we will continue to spread over the three days that we will be here. We're somewhat nervous about this, but we will do our best to convey this message to the world.”
Terumi Tanaka says the way world leaders understand defence must not prioritise territory over the lives of people.
And that he hopes the message of the survivors can be heard around the world.
"I firmly believe that nuclear weapons cannot protect lives and property (of the people). Defence is not about preserving territory, it is about valuing and enriching people's lives. For this reason, I think the use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. I think many Hibakusha (atomic-bomb survivors) share this thought. I believe that the concept of deterrence through nuclear weapons is untenable.”
