 Hibakusha living outside of Japan are entitled to medical allowance: Court The Nagasaki District Court on September 28 ruled that Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) now living outside of Japan are entitled to receive allowances to cover their medical treatment. The lawsuit was filed by Choi Gye Chol, a South Korean Hibakusha, against the Nagasaki mayor demanding that the city's rejection of his application for the allowances be nullified. In the ruling, Presiding Judge Tagawa Naoyuki said, "It was illegal for the city to refuse to process the application without determining that the plaintiff was unable to travel to Japan for the application." Tagawa also said, "It was easy to predict that there are Hibakusha who have illnesses caused by the atomic bombing and who are too old to travel to Japan for application. It is unthinkable that the law does not give assistance to them in making an application." (end) |