It has been 75 years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and the victims have little time left. The government must speed up the reexamination of the state-designated damage zone that is used to determine eligibility for assistance for hibakusha atomic bomb survivors.
The central government, and the Hiroshima municipal and prefectural governments, have filed an appeal against a recent ruling by the Hiroshima District Court that acknowledged that 84 plaintiffs were exposed to "black rain" that fell after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, recognizing all of them as hibakusha. The central government also said that it would reconsider the conventional state-designated relief zone with a view to expanding the coverage areas.
A possibility can be said to exist that not only the plaintiffs but also other people will receive relief.
In 1976, the central government designated a state relief zone. People who were exposed to the black rain in the zone are eligible to receive free medical checkups, and if they suffer from cancer or other diseases suspected to be caused by radiation, they are given an atomic bomb survivor's certificate and their medical expenses are free in principle.
The plaintiffs were residents who were living outside the zone. The point of contention in the lawsuit was on the extent of the black rain. In the ruling, the Hiroshima District Court acknowledged the credibility of the testimonies of plaintiffs and others, concluding that the rain fell in wider areas than the state-designated relief zone.
It seems that the ruling put priority on helping the aging plaintiffs. The average age of the plaintiffs exceeds 82, and 16 of them died before the ruling.
The municipal and prefectural governments, which are commissioned by the central government to issue the hibakusha certificates, have long called for the expansion of the state-designated relief zone. However, the central government has not accepted the requests to expand the zone based on a report by an expert panel that said it would be difficult to do so.
The municipal and prefectural governments urged the central government not to appeal to a higher court, but the central government decided to file an appeal, saying, "The ruling cannot be said to be based on scientific knowledge." As past investigations did not reveal any evidence that high levels of radioactive materials had fallen in those areas, the central government may find it difficult to accept the ruling.
In the past, the Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit filed by Nagasaki Prefecture residents who had been living outside the ground zero area and were seeking hibakusha certificates.Although that was not a "black rain" case, it is believed that the central government chose to appeal to a higher court this time in view of the inconsistency between the Hiroshima District Court ruling in the present case and the Supreme Court ruling in the Nagasaki case.
But even while the central government has appealed to a higher court, it showed consideration for requests from the city and prefecture by deciding to reexamine the scope of the state-designated relief zone. It appears to have struck a balance of sorts, but it is undeniably difficult to understand how to find a way to aid the victims while continuing the lawsuit.
The central government intends to use technologies such as artificial intelligence to scientifically facilitate the reexamination of the state-designated relief zone. If the zone is expanded as requested by the city and prefectural governments, the number of people eligible for the state relief is expected to increase by several thousand. However, much remains unclear, such as the method of verification and the timing for reaching a conclusion.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, "We'll work hard to support those who have experienced sufferings beyond description."
When disclosing the results of the reexamination of the zone, the central government should carefully explain its findings to the victims so that they can accept them.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on Aug. 14, 2020.
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