politics

Civic group calls for cancellation of IOC chief's visit to Hiroshima

21 Comments

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Except for central government, who's really welcome him?

12 ( +12 / -0 )

Meeting with members of the group, a prefectural official said, "It would be meaningful (for Bach) to share with the world what he felt in Hiroshima."

It would be meaningless hypocrisy. I completely agree with the petitioners.

15 ( +15 / -0 )

Japan’s presently reigning Chief Prime Minster of Domestic, Internal & Financial Affairs Thomas Bach is NOT-at all concerned with the sensibilities of a few civic-minded groups within Japan.

He is concerned with missing out on photo-opps for the international stage and will continue with his plans, unimpeded by local, public sentiments.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Be funny if he slipped up and told the truth.

”I am in Japan to make a ton of money from an Olympics which should never have been held. While I’m at it, I’m coming to Hiroshima for some virtue signaling”.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Not likely that the government will listen to the call of the group, but at least it will become clear that the visit comes unwelcome and against the desires of the people that more closely represent the will of those that suffered from the atomic bomb. It may be a drop on the ocean but every piece of protests against the obviously business of the games should be heard.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Let’s ALL not forget, the IOC’s “2nd in Command”, VP John Coates is planning to visit Nagasaki, the same day. (‘interpretive type’ issue resolved)

Are groups there protesting as well?
4 ( +4 / -0 )

Agreed @virusrex 9:25am, ethically:

*- “. . .every piece of protests against the obvious business of the games should be heard.”. . . *

. . . in open-speech, in printed-word, in mimicry & parody, in art & song, in silence for some and boycotting of sponsors by others,

. . . by any ‘legally’ available means.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

They have a point : Japanese can't attend the Olympics, Tourists can't visit Japan; so IOC staff should stay in a bubble and not visit non venue areas and cause stress

7 ( +8 / -1 )

"It would be meaningful (for Bach) to share with the world what he felt in Hiroshima."

I think it would be way more meaningful for the people of HIroshima to share with the world what they feel about Bach.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

At this point, he might as well visit Yasukuni too.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Mr. Bach is in Tokyo.

Tokyo is currently under a State of Emergency.

Under a SoE, people are asked not to make non-urgent, unnecessary trips.

What is urgent or necessary about Mr. Bach's trip to Hiroshima?

When many people are still waiting to be able to see family living in distant parts of the country and are unable to do so because of the snail's pace speed of the vaccination programme, when people are missing out on a much-needed summer holiday for the second year running, when bars and restaurants are being forced to close or restrict opening times thus heavily haemorrhaging income... at such a time, travelling for the sake of a public photo-op should warrant severe censure and deportation of all foreign nationals involved. And a hefty fine (and more censure) for the Japanese people aiding and abetting in this fiasco. Government officials involved in this are going directly against the ®instructions of the central government, and should be sacked.

®aka urges, requests, appeals, advice, recommendation etc.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

He is definitely not welcome.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

What insensitive and reckless people - Bach and Coates. They should have the courage to apologise to all Japnese citizens and the world for staging such an international event in the midst of a pandemic. Shameless!

5 ( +6 / -1 )

He should go to Tohoku and Fukushima, not Hiroshima; to demonstrate recovery from the earthquake and tsunami, one of the main bleeding heart reasons for Japan wanting these games.

Showboating to Hiroshima, Naga-shima or Hiro-saki (he's not going to know the difference again!) is totally unnecessary, and a burden on the people that have to babysit him there.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

If he goes, boo him mercilessly.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I have some news for the posters above, if the IOC Chief traveled all the way to Japan and didn't visit Hiroshima he would be roundly condemned all around the world as an insensitive clod. When you are an international official like he is and you are in particular nations the have iconic locations with major historical significance, you visit these places. It would be no different than an Olympics held in South Dakota and the IOC Chief ignoring the nearby site of the Wounded Knee massacre. You expect such officials to make these pilgrimages and say something about it afterwards. To do less is insensitive.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

 To do less is insensitive.

Coming to a place that has just declared yet another State of Emergency in the midst of a global pandemic, and bringing another 90,000 or so with him from all corners of the world, is insensitive.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

You expect such officials to make these pilgrimages

Not during a state of emergency. Coronavirus state of emergency prevents such unnecessary trips though... but not for the elite awaiting their cashola. Also the people don't want him there..... also he's not supposed to politicize the site...

This becomes just another example of how the IOC owns Japan at the moment and can do whatever it wants

1 ( +2 / -1 )

A civic group filed a complaint Monday with governments in Hiroshima Prefecture to cancel International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach's planned visit to the atomic-bombed city in western Japan later this week.

He is here for the Tokyo Olympics. Why the need to visit Hiroshima? Nothing there except propaganda.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Chances are, if he does go to Hiroshima, he'll say "Nagasaki".

When he goes to Nagasaki, he'll say "Hiroshima".

He probably doesn't even know the difference as we've come to learn.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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