Japan Press Weekly
|
|
| home | about us | JCP | books | special issues | past issues | links | mail to editor | fact box |
|
|
Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan | |
2,000 disabled people in rally call for withdrawal of bill to revise eself-supportf law On June 8 in front of the Diet Building, about 2,000 disabled people held a rally demanding the abolition of a bill to revise the disabled person gself-supporth law that includes the gbeneficiary-pays principle.h The bill maintains the gbeneficiary-pays principleh which forces disabled persons to pay 10 percent of the costs for any services they use, and which has been criticized for imposing heavier burdens on those who have a more serious disability. Mediated by the court, the government once agreed with plaintiffs and their lawyers in the disabled personsf lawsuits in their effort to abolish the current gself-supporth assistance law and to establish a new one. Based on this agreement, with disabled personsf in attendance, a discussion on creating a new law has just begun. However, in collaboration with the Liberal Democratic and Komei parties, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan intends to enact the bill as it is. At the rally, ex-plaintiff from Hiroshima Prefecture said, gThe bill doesnft contain the important point reached in the agreement. If such a bill passes through the Diet, wefll have to experience the same difficulties again.h Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoplefs International Secretary General Onoue Koji said, gI condemn the government for submitting the bill without talking with us at all.h Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Koike Akira stated, gIt is unacceptable that the government is attempting to enact the bill in defiance of the court-mediated agreement. Public pressure can influence government policy. Letfs work together to scrap the bill.h - Akahata, June 9, 2010
|
|
Copyright (c) Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. All right reserved info@japan-press.co.jp |