Vietnam Peace Committee
Dear Friends,
It is my great honour and privilege to address you on behalf of the Vietnam Peace Committee. I would like to extend the warmest greetings to you, to all peace activists and esteemed guests. I also would like to express our gratitude to the Conference Organising Committee and Japanese hosts for facilitating our attendance.
We highly appreciate the initiatives and endeavours of the Japanese Peace Committee, World Conference Against A &H Bombs, peace activists and people for keeping the Japanese and the people of the world alerted to the danger of nuclear weapons, and working for total abolition of nuclear weapons, for a nuclear weapon free world.
Our attendance at the Conference is to express our strong solidarity with the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings and the victims of nuclear tests in various countries.
Dear Friends,
The 20th Century has witnessed great achievements in all aspects, which should have created good prospects for human advancement. However, it turns out to have been the bloodiest, war-ridden century. Untold human sacrifice, sufferings and material losses were inflicted. Particularly, one of our tragedies was the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombing, which shocked and horrified the world. Humankind is faced with a threat of a nuclear holocaust.
The 20th Century is going to be left behind. We are entering the 21st Century with our full energy, hope and determination to develop an " aspiration to live in peace in a safer world", to develop the century into the century of peace, to " save the succeeding generations from the scourge of war". Thanks to the relentless and persistent efforts of the peace forces all over the world, achievements are scored. Though, a peaceful international environment seems to be secured, the world today is far from being a peaceful, just and secure place to live; world peace continues to be fragile. Civil wars, violent conflicts among states, border disputes, ethnic, tribal and religious confrontations are still lingering. Though economic globalization is bringing about more interdependence amongst countries, it is creating many problems such as inequality, injustice, underdevelopment, poverty, diseases, illiteracy, ecological disasters, lack of respect for national sovereignty and so on, especially for the developing countries. Despite advances in arms control, the danger of arms races is still looming.
For a lasting, just peace, for a nuclear weapon free world, for a century of a culture of peace, we should try harder, we should unite closer. We all together join our voices and efforts for "No more Hiroshimas. No more Nagasakis".
Thank you.