Message from Japan (June 2017)

Message from Japan

June 2017

After the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, the Japanese government professed: “Such a nuclear accident like the Chernobyl will never occur in Japan because the Japanese science technology is a way more advanced than that of Soviets.” However, it happened fifteen years after the Chernobyl accident. No country, including Japan, declared that their nuclear science technology would never fail after the whole world had witnessed what happened in Fukushima. Instead, the pro-nuclear states have accepted to take the risk of another nuclear accident as Hans Blix, Director of the IAEA at the time of the Chernobyl disaster, once stated: “The atomic industry can take catastrophes like Chernobyl every year.” They have decided to take the probability of the occurrence of a nuclear accident among about 500 nuclear power plants all over the world to maintain the nuclear industry. According to their calculation, a nuclear accident may occur every 500 years. What the two nuclear catastrophes in Chernobyl and Fukushima have revealed to the world is that the consequences of the nuclear accident would always be grossly underestimated; and the citizens and children would be affected most severely by a nuclear disaster. The people in Chernobyl and Fukushima are left in that unjust situations.

It is not the tragedy that has happened only to the people in Chernobyl and Fukushima. It could happen to you anytime in future. We cannot repeat such a tragedy.

To not repeat, we need to make the Chernobyl Law—which guarantees the right to evacuation from radiation-contaminated environment following the international standard of the dose limit of radiation exposure—an international treaty. As an initial step towards that goal, we have launched a campaign to establish the Chernobyl Law in the town and city we live.

The following is the call for the enactment of Japan’s Chernobyl Law. The message was written by a Japanese mother.

We wish that you read this message, support our action and work towards the establishment of Japan’s Chernobyl Law with us. If the Chernobyl Law has been enacted in many cities and in many countries, such the movement will greatly encourage and inspire the people of Fukushima, who have no legal protection from radiation risk.  
We are hoping to be connected with the people all over the world and work altogether to protect the health and lives of our children from another nuclear accident. We look forward to hearing from you.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Toshio Yanagihara, Lawyer.
 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　（The Reality of Fukushima--he spoke at UN in October 2012）

◎A Call for Working Together to Enact the Chernobyl Law in Japan