Remember Hiroshima<\/p>\n
I read with grief the news article captioned 'Hiroshima
\ncommemorates world's first atomic bombing' on page 16 of The
\nJakarta Post of Aug. 7, 1995. I cannot help but feel grateful to
\nThe Jakarta Post for the concern and compassion it demonstrated
\nby printing on the front page the picture of the famous Atom-bomb
\nDome of Hiroshima, in front of which a mass \"die-in\" was staged
\nby hundreds of young pacifists. It was reported that about
\n100,000 people attended the 50th memorial service held on Aug. 6,
\n1995, in the picturesque Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.<\/p>\n
I was fortunate to be seated with two Indonesian former
\nschoolmates and other friends from The Philippines, Malaysia,
\nBrunei and Myanmar, who were invited to the ceremony by Hiroshima
\nCity Mayor Takashi Hiraoka. The two from Indonesia (a corporate
\nlawyer and a former member of State Advisory Council), one from
\nMalaysia (now a professor of Japanese studies at the University
\nof Malaysia) and one from Brunei (now a businessman and a former
\nPrime Minister) happened to be survivors, called hibaku-sha in
\nJapanese, of the Hiroshima atomic holocaust.<\/p>\n
The summer heat was almost unbearable, as the commemorative
\nceremony proceeded. Yet everyone paid tribute to the occasion in
\ngraceful solemnity.<\/p>\n
Among the speakers were the Mayor, the Prime Minister, the
\nSpeaker of the House of Representatives, the Chief Justice of the
\nSupreme Court and a representative of the UN Secretary General
\nBoutros Boutros-Ghali.<\/p>\n
But, frankly speaking, I didn't care much for the almost
\nsimilar speeches of the politicians. As by way of testing the
\nvalidity of their statements, my thoughts drifted to the horrors
\nand cruelties happening in Bosnia, Palestine, Jerusalem and to
\nthe disaster that will shortly devastate the environment on an
\natoll in the South Pacific. Power politics or the German
\nrealpolitik still holds sway in full ardor. This is an undeniable
\nfact.<\/p>\n
I was more impressed by the declaration titled \"Commitment to
\nPeace\" read out by a sixth grade girl from Hiroshima City Shiya
\nElementary School, Miyuki Kubo. She spoke as the children's
\nrepresentative. She vowed that the tragedy of Hiroshima must
\nnever be repeated, and that thoughtfulness and kindheartedness
\ntoward each other are of utmost importance to achieve peace and
\ncooperation with all the people of the world.<\/p>\n
The climax of the immaculate memorial ceremony, the large
\nmixed chorus of schoolchildren singing the Hiroshima Peace Song,
\nto the accompaniment of a brass band, was most impressive. The
\nmelody was highly enchanting and appealing.<\/p>\n
The first stanza translates \"(Hear) the bell tolls; and by
\nthis Bell of Peace let the echo reverberate high up to the limits
\nof the sky, to east and west, where the white clouds hang over
\nour place. Now let us rise bravely and here (on this earth) build
\nprosperity.\"<\/p>\n
Witnessing the affluent society of Japan today, there is no
\ndoubt to a foreign observer that the Japanese have lived up to
\ntheir vow.<\/p>\n
Finally, highlighting the 50th commemoration of Hiroshima
\natomic tragedy, we were fortunate to have the opportunity to pay
\nhomage at the grave of Nick Yusof of Malaysia (known as \"Malaya\"
\nwhen a student) situated on the hill of Kozenji, Hiroshima. His
\ncompatriot, Sayed Omar, is buried nearby on the quiet, bamboo
\ncovered hill of Enkouji, in Kyoto. Both foreign students
\nheroically managed to survive the catastrophe, but later
\nsuccumbed in unparalleled agony to the first atomic bomb ever
\ndropped on a city.<\/p>\n
SAM SUHAEDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/remember-hiroshima-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }