Relief for Minamata victims
(From The Japan Times July 7 issue)

要約
水俣病被害者全員に救済を

The Upper House is likely to enact a bill that will offer financial relief to more sufferers of Minamata disease. It is expected to cover about 20,000 of some 30,000 people, mainly in Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures, who are seeking recognition as Minamata disease sufferers. But it has flaws.

Minamata disease is a neurological disorder caused by organic mercury that was released into the Sea of Shiranui by a Chisso Corp. plant in Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture. In 1956, the existence of Minamata disease was recognized and in 1968 it was officially recognized as a disease caused by man-made pollution. In 1965, a second outbreak of Minamata disease was confirmed along the Agano River in Niigata Prefecture. This time it was caused by organic mercury released by a Showa Denko K.K. plant. In total, nearly 2,000 people have died from the disease and babies have suffered birth defects.

The bill, a compromise between the ruling coalition and the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, eases the standards to recognize a person as a Minamata disease sufferer and will recognize anyone showing one or more of the following symptoms: numbness in limbs; sensory impairment — systemic, of the tongue or around the mouth; and a narrowing of the field of vision. The amount of compensation has not been decided.?

This is the second political attempt to enlarge the scope of relief following that of 1995, which newly recognized and compensated each of about 11,000 Minamata disease sufferers with ¥2.6 million. Under the bill, Chisso Corp. will be divided into two entities, with Chisso's holding company financially compensating the victims and its subsidiary taking over business operations. The holding company will be dissolved after compensation payments are completed.

But the dissolution blurs Chisso's responsibility for causing the disease and new victims could still be identified after the dissolution. The government should carry out an extensive survey of all those suspected of suffering from Minamata disease to understand the true scope of the disease. No victims should be left without financial relief and health assistance.

水俣病未認定患者の救済を目指す特別措置法が参院で成立される。対象は認定申請者約3万人のうち約2万人となるが、問題は残っている。

熊本県のチッソ水俣工場が不知火海に排出した有機水銀による中枢神経疾患は、1956年に水俣病と公式確認され、68年に政府が公害病と認定。65年には新潟県で昭和電工の工場が阿賀野川に排出した有機水銀で水俣病が発生した。

法案は、救済対象となる症状の範囲を広げ、手足のしびれ、全身、舌、口の周囲の感覚障害、求心性視野狭窄などのいずれかとした。補償金額は未定。救済範囲の拡大を目的とした95年に続く「第2の政治的決着」のもと、チッソは補償を受け持つ持ち株会社と事業会社に分割され、持ち株会社は補償金を払い終われば解散する。

しかし、解散後に症状が出てくる患者もあり得る。国は被害の実情を詳しく調査すべきだ。被害者全員に補償金や医療援助が必要だ。