Greetings from the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament at
its Annual
Hiroshima Commemoration, Merrion Square, Dublin, Ireland, 6th
August
2002
The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (Irish CND) wishes
to
congratulate the organisers and participants of the Atomic and
Hydrogen
Bomb Survivors' Conference, which is taking place at this very
moment in
the city of Hiroshima, Japan.
On the 29th of May 2001 Irish CND was honoured to welcome four
of your
participants: Ms Hideko Matsuya, Nagasaki, Ms Tamiko Nishimoto,
Hiroshima and Mr. Shuntaro Hida, Hiroshima, survivors of the atomic
bomb
attacks - together with Mr Hiroshi Taka, Secretary General Japan
Council
against A and H Bombs - to Merrion Square Dublin to lay a wreathe
at the
Cherry Tree here.
In Irish CND's opinion, the attack on the cities of Hiroshima
and
Nagasaki constituted one of the great war crimes of the 20th century.
It is estimated that the world's nuclear powers currently possess
the
equivalent of "1 million Hiroshimas" in their nuclear
arsenals. We
believe that the threat of nuclear war is greater now than at
any time
since the end of the Cold War. Your conference could not be more
timely.
Irish CND holds that every nuclear bomb is a war crime waiting
to
happen.
We have asked Irish CND representative and former Chairperson
Ms Carol
Fox to present to you the Dove of Peace designed by Irish crafts
persons, as a token of our affection and appreciation of your
efforts.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in Ireland sends its best
wishes
for the success of the Conference of Atomic and Hydrogen Bomb
Survivors.
Beireann Buan Bua! [tr. Perseverance Wins out in the End]
On behalf of Irish CND,
Billy Fitzpatrick
National Chairperson post