Six groups representing non-Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings are pressing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to correct his remarks that the Japanese are the "only people" to have experienced nuclear devastation in war.
When Abe gave the annual prime minister speeches at the anniversary ceremonies in Nagasaki and Hiroshima last August, he stated: "We Japanese are the only people to have experienced the horror of nuclear devastation in war. As such a people, we bear a responsibility to bring about 'a world without nuclear weapons' without fail."
The six groups lodged a formal request Thursday asking Abe to correct the record, saying his remarks are contrary to the facts. Three of the groups represent survivors in South Korea and the other three represent survivors in North America and Brazil.