Hibakusha request cabinet to revise criteria for certifying A-bomb diseases

   Representatives of atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) on April 4 met Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Shimomura Hakubun at the prime minister’s office, calling on the government to revise its inadequate standards for certifying their illnesses as caused by the A-bombings.

   Tanaka Terumi, secretary general of the Japan Confederation of A- and H- Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo), and two other representatives representing plaintiffs in the lawsuits seeking the state recognition handed to Shimomura a written request with 212 Dietmembers’ signatures in support of their calls.

   They demanded that Prime Minister Abe Shinzo meet with Hibakusha, instruct the Health Minister to drastically revise the criteria for recognition of A-bomb diseases, and have him meet with Hibakusha.

   Shimomura said, “The government and the ruling parties will make a joint effort to respond” to their requests.

   At a press conference held after the meeting at the Health Ministry, Miyahara Tetsuro, secretary general of the national liaison council of lawyers of Hibakusha lawsuits, explained that while avoiding to directly respond to Hibakusha’s three-point request, Shimomura said that the Liberal Democratic Party will form an inner-party project team and that he also hope for a cross-party proposal for improving the recognition system.

   Tanaka said, “I said in the meeting that many aging Hibakusha cannot wait for the final court result. With this meeting, we have taken one step forward toward the settlement of the issue.”

   April 4 marked the final day of the three-day sit-in protest that Hibakusha and their supporters had carried out in front of the Health Ministry.

   On April 3, a rally calling for relief measures for Hibakusha with illnesses was held in the Diet building in which Dietmembers of the Japanese Communist, Liberal Democratic, Democratic, and Komei parties as well as Hibakusha and their lawyers took part.                      - Akahata, April 4 and 5, 2007