Aso, sufferers of A-bomb-related illnesses sign relief measures

HIROSHIMA, Aug. 6 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and persons suffering from atomic
bombing-related illnesses signed an agreement Thursday, under which the
government will provide a blanket resolution to all 306 plaintiffs who have
sought recognition as suffering from illnesses caused by the 1945 U.S. atomic
bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The agreement, signed in Hiroshima after the premier attended a commemorative
ceremony to mark the 64th anniversary of the bombing, will bring the
six-year-long legal battle involving 306 plaintiffs to an end.
The new government relief measures feature certifying plaintiffs who have won
district court-level lawsuits over the issue as persons suffering from
radiation-related illnesses, even though high courts have yet to rule on their
cases.
For those who have lost their cases at district courts, the government will
create a fund through lawmaker-sponsored legislation to compensate them.
The move came after the state lost 19 straight lawsuits filed across the
country over the certification issue.
Aso told a press conference after the signing, ''Considering that the
plaintiffs are aging and they have fought this legal battle so long, we have
decided to introduce the new policies to bring relief to them swiftly by paying
respect to the legal decision.''
''I am happy and relieved for our battle has finally come to an end, but at the
same time, I can't help thinking about those who passed away without receiving
the certificate (as A-bomb-related disease sufferers),'' said Haruhide
Tamamoto, a 79-year-old survivor.
''A certificate is very significant because it means the state admits that it
started a war and caused this atrocity. Being dead without receiving one is an
absolute tragedy,'' Tamamoto, one of the plaintiffs, said.
Another plaintiff, Kamiko Oe, 80, said, ''I once held grudges against the state
(for not recognizing us as sufferers) but my hard feelings went away today. I
just wonder how happy those who are already deceased would have been if they
had still been alive.''
Following the event finalizing the deal, groups of A-bomb survivors submitted a
petition to Aso, requesting the government to enact a law to relieve all A-bomb
disease sufferers, including those who live abroad, and their children.
Sunao Tsuboi, head of the Hiroshima Prefectural Confederation of A-Bomb
Sufferers Organization, said, ''Hibakusha who have been anxious for so long can
be at ease at last.''
Meanwhile, there are still calls for the government to provide relief to
unrecognized survivors who were not involved in the lawsuits.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura in June expressed his intention to show
the government's position on the certification issue before the anniversaries
of the bombing of Hiroshima on Thursday and of Nagasaki on Sunday.
Kawamura had since been negotiating with the plaintiffs' representatives over
the matter, while consulting with other government officials, including health
minister Yoichi Masuzoe and Justice Minister Eisuke Mori.
Masuzoe and lawyers for the plaintiffs also attended the signing ceremony.
==Kyodo