Japan Press Weekly

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2016 June 8 - 14 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Health professionals and scientists in statement protest against military-academia cooperation

A group of health professionals and scientists on June 8 held a news conference in the Diet building and released a statement in protest against military-academia cooperation.

The Association for the Verification of Inhuman Conduct by Japanese Researchers and Health Care Professionals during the War in the statement expressed its concern over Science Council of Japan (SCJ) President Onisi Takashi’s remark in favor of military research for the purpose of self-defense. It also sounded an alarm on the SCJ’s move to set up an inner panel to discuss whether to approve military research.

The statement points out that as represented by the Japanese Imperial military’s Unit 731 which conducted human experimentations and biological-warfare experiments and activities in China, the Japanese medical society neglected its role in saving people’s lives and committed war crimes under the name of “research” during the 15-year war (1931-1945). The statement goes on to note that after the war, medical scientists and professionals involved in the war crimes were given immunity from prosecution by the U.S. government in exchange for their research results. “The Unit 731 issue shows the consequences of applied military research,” the statement states.

The group calls on the SCJ to hold its postwar position refraining from engaging in military research.

Past related article:
> Science Council divided over military research [May 22, 2016]