Jeremy Corbyn and Caroline Lucas to Represent CND in Japan Commemorating 80th Anniversary of Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

CND Vice-Presidents Jeremy Corbyn MP and Caroline Lucas will represent CND in Japan to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

They will be joining Hibakusha – atomic bomb survivors – dignitaries, parliamentarians and international delegates from across the world, participating in anniversary ceremonies in both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as part of a World Conference united in its call for an end to nuclear weapons.

In August 1945, the US dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Out of a population of 350,000, it’s estimated that total deaths in Hiroshima range from 100,000 to 180,000. Casualties from Nagasaki are thought to be between 50,000 and 100,000. By 1950, over 340,000 people had died. Generations to this day have been poisoned by radiation.

CND remembers all those who were killed and injured in these criminal bombings and we pay tribute to the survivors, Hibakusha, who continue to campaign for a world free from nuclear dangers by sharing their powerful testimonies with people around the world.

The commemoration comes amid growing global nuclear dangers and the continued expansion and modernisation by nuclear weapons states of their arsenals. The war in Ukraine continues amid threats of escalation. Nuclear-armed Israel's horrific genocide against the Palestinian people is intensifying admit threats of further military attacks on Iran. And tensions continue to grow in the Asia Pacific. This means the threat of nuclear use has never been higher.

In June, the British government announced that it will add an air-launched nuclear capability by buying 12 F-35A fighter jets. In July, US B61-12 nuclear bombs were deployed to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. These co-called “battlefield” nukes have a potential yield of up to 50 kilotons, more than three times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

CND is redoubling its efforts to ensure the human cost of nuclear war is never forgotten and that the call for 'No more Hiroshimas' is taken up across the country. CND groups will be marking the anniversaries with events taking place in towns and cities across the country.

CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:

“CND would like to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands who had their lives cruelly taken by the US atomic bombing – a most barbaric act. Now is the time to reflect on the human cost of nuclear war. People in Japan still live in pain and anguish because of this war crime committed 80 years ago.

We must expose the lie that nuclear weapons keep us safe. On the contrary, they are a daily threat to us all. And, because of nuclear expansion of nuclear states like our own reckless government, the threat of nuclear weapons being used in war again is growing. So, as we mark 80 years since these horrific crimes were committed, we must come together to challenge this terrifying war drive and end the nuclear threat.”

CND Vice-President Jeremy Corbyn MP said:

“As we reflect on 80 years since the criminal bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we must ask where is the leadership in pursuing the urgent need for nuclear disarmament? It certainly isn’t among the nuclear weapons states who are spending ever increasing sums to develop new ways to carry out mass killing.

We can take inspiration from countries across the global South, who are championing nuclear weapons-free zones and promoting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This offers the legal framework to ban these weapons and provide reparations for victims of nuclear weapons testing and use. Britain should rethink its disastrous nuclear expansion and start engaging with the TPNW immediately.”

CND Vice-President Caroline Lucas said:

“It’s a great honour to be representing CND in Hiroshima and Nagasaki on such an important anniversary. It could not be more urgent to support all those working for nuclear disarmament, and I pay tribute to the very last survivors who continue to use their voice to raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons. The threat of nuclear war is growing, as the international disarmament frameworks come under increasing pressure.

Far from abiding by their legal duties to take steps to disarm under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, countries like the UK are moving in the opposite direction, increasing and modernising their arsenals. Yet at the same time, over 90 countries have signed the UN’s Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. It’s vital that we use this anniversary to reshape the debate about real security. This means investing in a sustainable, green economy, and pursuing a foreign policy based on international law.”