Japan Press Weekly

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2023 October 18 - 24 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

JCP Chair Shii meets with Hibakusha representatives

Japanese Communist Party Chair Shii Kazuo in the Diet building on October 20 met with representatives of A-bomb survivors’ (Hibakusha) organizations and executives of the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Shii received from them a written request for the establishment of a world without nuclear weapons and for a further improvement in Hibakusha support measures.

They request that: state compensation be provided for injuries and illnesses caused by the atomic bombings; all nuclear weapons be prohibited and abolished; requirements for Hibakusha nursing-care allowances be relaxed; and negotiations on making related laws be conducted between political parties and Nihon Hidankyo.

Shii said, “All your requests are legitimate. Together with you, we will work hard to meet your requests. The international community, based on the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), has actually started making concrete efforts to help ‘nuclear’ victims throughout the world. It is a matter of course for Japan to fulfill its international role. So, we will demand that Japan take part in a second Conference of State Parties to the TPNW at least as an observer.”

Nihon Hidankyo executives, in regard to measures to support second-generation Hibakusha, said that they hope to have access to relevant records, information, and documents to assess the actual situation. They also said that scientific studies into the genetic influence of radiation are necessary.

Kido Sueichi, Nihon Hidankyo secretary general, said, “The A-bombings have damaged our physical/mental health, lives, and livelihoods. Listening to Hibakusha, our organization has made many requests to the government. The government should implement the needed measures to meet our demands,”

Shii said, “I really appreciate your longstanding efforts to make known to the world the reality of the A-bombings. Your efforts made possible the formulation of the TPNW, opening a new chapter in human history. Our party will increase our antinuke activities in solidarity with Hibakusha.”