ĦĦĦĦTOKYO, Aug. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese city of Hiroshima Tuesday commemorated
the 57th anniversary of its atomic bombing with a pledge to promoting peace and
renouncing war, Japan's Kyodo News reported.
ĦĦĦĦIn an annual peace declaration, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akibavowed to do
his utmost to "create a century of peace and humanity."
ĦĦĦĦHe also warned that the probabilities that nuclear weapons willbe used and
the danger of nuclear war are increasing, the report said.
ĦĦĦĦAkiba urged the Japanese government to reject nuclear arms and renounce
war, as well as assist all atomic-bomb victims, especially survivors living
overseas.
ĦĦĦĦThe mayor also urged U.S. President George W. Bush to visit Hiroshima and
Nagasaki and "confirm with his own eyes what nuclearweapons hold in store for us
all."
ĦĦĦĦIt was the first annual memorial for A-bomb victims since the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks on the United States and subsequent U.S.-led military campaign
in Afghanistan.
ĦĦĦĦJapanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi attended the ceremonyin the Peace
Memorial Park in Naka Ward, his second attendance at the annual event.
ĦĦĦĦKoizumi renewed his pledge to maintain Japan's three avowed principles of
not producing, not possessing and not allowing nuclear arms on Japan's soil.
ĦĦĦĦ"This position will not change," he was quoted as saying.
ĦĦĦĦ"Japan will continue efforts to ask other countries to join
theComprehensive Test Ban Treaty for its early enforcement," he added.
ĦĦĦĦThe 50-minute ceremony started at 8 a.m. (local time) with Akiba and two
representatives of A-bomb victims' family put two books under an arch-shaped
cenotaph in the park which lists names of 4,977 people newly recognized as
A-bomb victims by the city government since Aug. 6 last year.
ĦĦĦĦAs the peace bell resounded through the park, some 45,000 participants
observed a minute's silence for the bomb victims from8:15 a.m. (local time), the
time when the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped the first nuclear weapon on the
western Japan city 57 years ago.
ĦĦĦĦThe blast and its aftereffects killed an estimated 140,000 people by the
end of 1945.
ĦĦĦĦThe number of victims from the atomic bombing in the city totaled 226,870
as of Monday, according to Kyodo. Enditem
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