Japan Press Weekly

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2013 October 9 - 15 [ANTI-N-ARMS]

Hibakusha demand state compensation for A-bomb sufferings

The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo) on October 10 held an assembly at the Upper House Members’ Office Building, demanding state compensation for negative health effects caused by the 1945 atomic bombing on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This was conducted in line with an action plan Hidankyo adopted at its representatives’ meeting on October 8 and 9.

Nearly 100 A-bomb survivors (Hibakusha) and lawyers handed to Dietmembers a statement calling on the national government to compensate them for the A-bomb damages and drastically improve the criteria used to certify A-bomb related diseases.

The parliamentarians who were handed the statement include members of the Japanese Communist, Liberal Democratic, Komei, Democratic, and Social Democratic parties.

Hidankyo’s Secretary General Tanaka Terumi demanded that the state improve its support to Hibakusha as well as pay compensation to the bereaved families of deceased Hibakusha.

Tanaka also stressed that Japan, as the only A-bombed country, should lead in international efforts to abolish nuclear weapons. He urged the lawmakers to press the national government to support the Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, which has been endorsed by 80 countries.

JCP Vice Chair Koike Akira stated that he fully supports Hidankyo’s demands and stated that the JCP will work to build a cross-party effort in order to realize them.