Japan Press Weekly

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2008 October 15 - 21 [ANTI-N-ARMS]

Hibakusha win court case in Chiba

The Chiba District Court on October 14 ordered the government to recognize four plaintiffs’ diseases as caused by exposure to radiation from the 1945 atomic bombings. The ruling marks the 12th consecutive victory for Hibakusha in similar lawsuits.

Two of the four plaintiffs had been denied government recognition that they are Hibakusha suffering from diseases caused by exposure to A-bomb radiation even after new standards for recognition were introduced in April. Their diseases, cirrhosis of the liver and cerebral infarction, are not included in the list of illnesses that the government designates as A-bomb radiation-related under the new criteria.

The latest court decision has again illuminated the insufficiency of the new standards.

Takada Sueko, a 69-year-old plaintiff who is suffering from cirrhosis of the liver, said at a news conference, “It is very significant ruling. Our struggle bore fruit.”

On the same day, the Japan Confederation of A & H Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) and lawyers of Hibakusha’s lawsuits issued a statement in Tokyo urging the government to fundamentally revise the new criteria.

The statement pointed out that the Chiba District Court decision calls for an immediate revision of the government’s standards since it has certified the two diseases as A-bomb caused while the government failed to do so.

It also demanded that the government not appeal against the latest ruling, realize a comprehensive settlement of Hibakusha’s lawsuits, and provide relief for all Hibakusha.