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 鈥淧eace and AUKUS don鈥檛 mix鈥.
Dr Sue Wareham from the Medical Association for the Prevention of War said: 鈥淎ustralia 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: 鈥淔ear of China has been created in the Australian public by a coalition of government, elites, security agencies and the mainstream media.
鈥淭his is spearheaded by the return of 鈥楥old War journalism鈥 in the Murdoch and Fairfax media.
鈥淭his 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.鈥
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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.
鈥淭he facts are clear: Nuclear war means global catastrophe. Nuclear war can never be won, by any country.
鈥淣uclear 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!鈥
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聽hiroshimacommitteesydney@gmail.com].