Pollution victims demand government and companies understand their sufferings

Calling for the eradication of pollution and relief measures for the victims, about 1,000 people marched in a demonstration through Tokyo's government office district.

An asthma sufferer with an oxygen walker was among pollution victim marchers.

Shouting the slogan, "Get rid of pollution, protect the global environment," pollution victims joined by their family members and supporters from all over the country took part in meetings, lobbying, and marches in demonstration held on June 6 and 7 as part of the 27th Anti-Pollution Action.

At the Ministry of Environment, they demanded that drastic measures be taken to eliminate highway pollution and car emissions as well as relief measures for the victims.

A 74-year-old asthmatic sufferer caused by Tokyo's air pollution tearfully described her agony to the vice-environment minister. She said, "Attacks always come in the middle of the night but I endure the choking fit until morning when consultation hours of the hospital start because outside of those hours I have to pay double. When I don't have enough money to go to the doctor, committing suicide crosses my mind. It's a maddening pain."

Hashimoto Saburo, secretary of the sufferers' association of Minamata mercury poisoning (mad hatter's disease), requested that the Koizumi Cabinet's plan to revise the medical insurance system be canceled because the revision will decrease the health care package for pollution victims.

At the Hibiya Amphitheater near the administrative district in the evening, about 1,500 people talked with each other about their activities in localities. They adopted an appeal in protest against the government's wartime policy which will further devastate environment.

On June 7, lawyers joined the event and together they had negotiations with defendant corporations of Toyota, Nissan, and Isuzu in the Tokyo air pollution litigation. They requested that these companies do something to eradicate sources of environmental pollution and diesel emissions, and for early settlements in court.

Nishimura Takao, secretary general of the lawyers' group said in front of the Toyota main office, "Japanese car makers exported diesel cars with pollution-abatement equipment to the U.S. and Europe, while ignoring such pollution-control technology for domestic sales. It's clear that the auto makers are to blame."

Koike Shintaro, organizing committee chair of the 27th Act Against Pollution, called on participants to oppose the wartime bills which are now being discuses in the Diet by thinking of wars as the largest destroyer of the global environment. (end)