Abstract
How can we understand the experience of the victims of nuclear disasters from the point of view of environmental sociology? This article attempts to answer the question by introducing a new concept entitled "Global Hibakusha" drawing on the case of the Marshall Islands where the United States has conducted sixty-seven nuclear tests in total. In addition, employing the analytical framework of "Victimizer/Victim Relationships" proposed by Nobuko Iijima, the article investigates the nature of nuclear suffering based not only on the testimonies of the Pacific islanders but also on official U. S. documents.
These declassified archival documents are tremendously helpful in examining the suffering of Marshall Islanders inflicted by U. S. state power. The official documents reveal why the Marshallese were sacrificed for the benefit of U. S. nuclear development and how the damage to the local inhabitants and their environment has remained largely invisible. Based on interviews with survivors as well as declassified U. S. documents, the article exposes overlooked nuclear disasters that have yet to be officially acknowledged by the United States. The article also recognizes the courage and strength of the victims who have challenged the motives and actions of successive U. S. administrations.
The investigation of official US documents reveals that the nuclear tests in the Pacific islands have inevitable links to Japanese society. The problems caused by US nuclear tests cannot be solved within the tiny islands of the Pacific. It is a matter with multilayered dimensions, linking the US government, Japanese society as well as other superpowers.
The article concludes by suggesting that studying state power, in addition to the nature of both victimhood and victimization, is essential for an investigation into suffering caused by militarism.
