Fukushima

What happened after the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster?

The Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011 triggered a series of explosions of Fukushima Daiich Nuclear Power Plants, later raised at alert level 7 and rated as high as the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. In a response to this catastrophic crisis, the Japanese government raised the legal public dose limit of radioactive exposure for children from the 1 mSv/year to 20 mSv/year. This allowed prompted parents to choose either to flee from the contaminated areas or to stay. However, this change in policy led majority of children to remain in the radioactive environment due to their parents' financial conditions since most of evacuation outside the 20 mSv/year zone was regarded to be voluntary and not subsidised by the government supporting scheme. Following this "20mSv/year policy", Prime Minister declared 'the country is going to make its economy the first priority'. Although the "20mSv/year policy" appeared to have kept the economic activity in Fukushima from collapsing, this made it clear that the health of Fukushima children and future generation was going to be sacrificed. Based on the lessons of Chernobyl disaster, there is no doubt that thousands of Fukushima children will suffer from the health problems in a few years. Considering who has built and maintained 54 of nuclear plants all over the country, the liability of this nuclear disaster must lie with TEPCO (the electricity company), the government, the media, the academics and the adult generation of all Japanese, but not with the children. From the point of view of the human rights and the right for children to grow up in good health, this adult generation has an entire responsibility to sustain children's health and to protect their future. Therefore, we cannot agree with this "20mSv/year policy". We cannot force our children to accept 20 times higher level of radioactive substance to their body than before the accident happened.

After experiencing Hiroshima and Nagasaki, numbers of nuclear tests, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, DU used in Iraq and Fukushima, we are sick and tired of seeing people destroyed by these demoniac atomic tools. Radiation does not discriminate and does have a possibility to affect each human body. This is the reason why none of the children or family of those with money and political power take a risk and live in the contaminated areas. The issue of radiation is clearly linked to the issue of poverty and discrimination. Those who suffer from the threats of radiation have always been the weak and vulnerable, i.e. the children. We declare every adult man and woman must save the children for the sake of common good and humanity. As well as enlisting your support to us, we expect you try to stop the nearest nuclear plant to your home town in order to protect your children and family before it gets too late. Our today is going to be your tomorrow. Please do not be like us. we expect you to face this reality and devote your ability and talent to end this atomic war. Please help us.

by World Network for Saving Children from Radiation 

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Fukushima Yae-tai 2012-2013