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President calls for nuclear-free world Featured

March 18, 2018

Everyone yearns for the elimination of all nuclear weapons and the genuine realization of a nuclear-free world, President Maithripala Sirisena said.He made this statement after visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which had been appealing continuously for the elimination of nuclear armaments and the realization of permanent world peace. On arrival in Hiroshima, he was received by the city's Mayor.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, located at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, in central Hiroshima, Japan, is dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II on August 6, 1945 at 8.15 am.At that moment in history, the city of Hiroshima fell victim to the world’s first atomic bombing. The entire city was virtually leveled to the ground.

Thousands of lives were lost in seconds. Many who managed to survive, suffered irreparable physical and psychological damage and still suffer the effects today.The museum was established in August 1955 along with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Hall. The Museum collects and displays belongings left behind by victims such as photos and other material that convey the horror of the atomic bomb.The exhibits describe the situation and effects before and after the nuclear bombings. Also, it presents the current status of the nuclear age.Each of the items displayed embodies the grief, anger or pain of the people who were victimized. After visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, the President visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome, where the atomic bomb exploded just over 500 metres above the building. The Atomic Bomb Dome is located almost directly underneath the explosion.

It had somehow avoided complete destruction and the remains of the building still stand today. The residents of Hiroshima had decided to keep this tragic reminder of war intact. The site was designated as a World Heritage site in 1996.President Sirisena also paid a floral tribute to the victims of the atomic bomb attack.