A-bomb survivors and Prime Minister Aso sign agreement to provide relief to all plaintiffs in lawsuits

Japan Press Weekly

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A-bomb survivors and Prime Minister Aso sign agreement to provide relief to all plaintiffs in lawsuits

The Japanese government has finally accepted the demand that the government relieve all the plaintiffs in lawsuits calling for government recognition of their illnesses as caused by exposure to atomic bomb radiation, paving the way for a total settlement of the lawsuits filed six years ago.

On August 6, following the ceremony at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Part to mark the 64th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Prime Minister Aso Taro and representatives of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Suffers Organizations (Hidankyo), Tsuboi Tadashi and Tanaka Terumi, signed the agreement.

The agreement came in the aftermath of the government's 19 consecutive losses in the lawsuits.

The agreement provides that the government will seek legislation to establish a fund to help resolve remaining problems involving the plaintiffs, that the Health, Labor and Welfare Minister, Hidankyo, and Hibakusha's defense lawyers' group will hold regular meetings to discuss settlement of the issue, and that the plaintiffs will terminate their lawsuits.

Shii welcomes agreement

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo welcomed the signing of the agreement between Prime Minister Aso Taro and representatives of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers' Organizations (Hidankyo).

At a news conference on August 6, Shii stated as follows:

This agreement is a result of the strenuous efforts Hibakusha have made for years, not just to resolve their own problems. They have also stood for the firm conviction that any underestimation of the damage from the atomic bombing is connected to the danger of nuclear war and that the settlement is absolutely necessary for totally eliminating nuclear weapons.

It is necessary to establish concrete steps to implement the agreement and to proceed with recognition of the more than 7,000 Hibakusha awaiting for approval of their applications.

We will continue to do out best to settle the lawsuits promptly and improve government administration on Hibakusha affairs.

- Akahata, August 7, 2009