A public meeting discussing the disastrous legacy of the United States atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 and the growing danger of Australia becoming involved in a possible nuclear war stemming from the Australia-UK-US (AUKUS) nuclear defence agreement drew around 60 people on August 6.
Organised by Mobilise Against AUKUS and War, a panel of speakers addressed the topic “Peace and AUKUS don’t mix”.
Dr Sue Wareham from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War said: “Australia is sleep-walking into a possible nuclear war with China. AUKUS increases the trend to nuclear proliferation, and increases the risk of nuclear conflict.
Media and Communications Studies Professor Wanning Sun at the University of Technology Sydney said: “Fear of China has been created in the Australian public by a coalition of government, elites, security agencies and the mainstream media.
“This is spearheaded by the return of ‘Cold War journalism’ in the Murdoch and Fairfax media.
“This campaign has created real fear among the Chinese community in Australia. Meanwhile, the general public has been influenced to support AUKUS and increased military spending in general.”
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Daryl Le Cornu, from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Australia, called for the federal Labor government to immediately sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which has already been endorsed by 93 countries and which Labor promised to sign before it took government.
“The facts are clear: Nuclear war means global catastrophe. Nuclear war can never be won, by any country.
“Nuclear deterrence fails as soon as the first missile is launched. The ALP already has support for the TPNW in its platform and we call on the Labor government to sign now!”
The ensuing discussion was moderated by Dr Michael Walker, Social Justice Facilitator for the Catholic Diocese of Sydney and the Independent and Peaceful Australia Network.
[For more information, contact hiroshimacommitteesydney@gmail.com].