Panel proposes to maintain discredited A-bomb illness recognition system

   A Health Ministry panel on December 17 put out a report proposing to maintain the basic framework of the present A-bomb related illnesses recognition system.

   The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) immediately issued a statement of protest, stating, “In defiance of the six court rulings that condemned the present recognition system, this report embraces the current government policy of abandoning many Hibakusha (A-bomb survivors). This is absolutely unacceptable.”

   At a news conference held in the Health Ministry building later in the day, Nihon Hidankyo Secretary General Tanaka Terumi expressed his anger by saying, “This report is a great disappointment to us. The panel completely ignored our call for rescinding the present recognition criteria.”

   Miyahara Tetsuro, representative of the legal team for the Hibakusha lawsuits, said, “This panel proposal will not help settle lawsuits at all.”

   Yamamoto Hidenori, who heads the plaintiffs’ groups across the nation, demanded that the report be retracted.

   To be certified as patients with A-bomb related diseases, Hibakusha are required to meet criteria that their illnesses are caused by A-bomb radiation and that they are under the necessity of receiving medical treatment.

   In determining whether Hibakusha illnesses are A-bomb related, the government is using a system in which it compares estimates of their radiation doses at the time of the A-bomb explosions with the probabilities that their doses may cause particular illnesses based on the “probability of causation.”

   The present system, that only takes into account the amount of initial radiation doses, has abandoned many Hibakusha. The court rulings criticized this system as “too mechanical” and admitted that radiation doses from residual radiation as well as from radioactive substances taken into their bodies should also be taken into account.

   The report, however, values the “probability of causation” criterion stating, “It is reasonable to use this as criteria to measure radiation effects.”

   Concerning those who had been exposed to residual radiation, the report proposed to calculate the amount of such radiation doses of individual Hibakusha. As regards illnesses that have not been recognized as A-bomb related based on the “probability of causation,” the report proposed to take into account acute symptoms Hibakusha had developed shortly after the bombing as well.

   While the report admitted the need to take into account the effects of residual radiation and internal radiation, it is still insisting on estimating the amount of such doses and using it as the determining factor based on “probability of causation.” However, the effects of residual radiation or internal radiation are not clearly known yet.

   Commenting on the panel report, Japanese Communist Party representative Koike Akira issued the following statement:

   “Since all court rulings severely criticized the present recognition system, a radical improvement of the policy has been called for. Despite this, the panel has proposed to maintain the present framework of the system with minor alterations, thus trampling on the demands of Hibakusha.

   The fact that this report recognized the necessity to take into account effects of residual radiation and the development of acute symptoms shows that the present policy, which has neglected almost totally these elements, is fundamentally inappropriate and that minor alterations will not help solve the problems.

   The need now is to abolish the present policy and draw up a new set of criteria based on the realities of A-bomb sufferers as well as the court rulings in order to secure relief for all Hibakusha. The JCP demands a drastic improvement in the system and continues to work to achieve this by joining with forces in and out of the Diet.”
- Akahata, December 18, 2007