今年3月11日で、東日本大震災と東京電力福島第一原発事故から8年が経ちます。震災と原発事故で亡くなられた方々にあらためて深く哀悼の意を表しますとともに、今もなお不安や苦悩を抱えながら暮らしておられるすべてのみなさまに心よりお見舞い申し上げます。

この8年間、市民の粘り強い活動が、各地で実を結んでいます。多くの人々が国会前で再稼働反対の声を上げた2012年の夏以降、世論調査では、原発維持よりも脱原発を支持する回答が大きく上回っています。住民が原発の再稼働差し止めを求めた裁判では、福井地裁をはじめ、大津地裁、広島高裁で訴えを認める画期的な判断が下されました。また損害賠償を求めた裁判では、昨年の一連の判決に続き、今年2月20日には横浜地裁で国と東京電力の責任を認め、避難者に4億1900万円余りを賠償するよう命じる判決が下されるなど、原発事故による損害賠償に対し、国の責任を認める判断が定着しつつあります。子どもたちの放射線被曝を少しでも低減するための保養キャンプなどの取り組みは、今も全国各地で続いています。さらに、安倍首相が「トップセールス」を展開した原発輸出事業は全て頓挫し、与党や経団連が固執する原発はもはや過去の遺物であることが明白となりました。世界に目を向けると、多くの国や企業が再生可能エネルギーと省エネを最も重要な産業として、また温暖化対策の柱と位置付け、大規模な投資を行っています。再生可能エネルギーのコストはここ数年で劇的に下がり、エネルギーシフトはいまや世界の趨勢です。

その一方で、安倍政権は原発再稼働を強引に進めています。現在でも福島第一原発からの大気・海洋への放射性物質の放出が続いているなか、汚染土を管理するどころか、再利用を掲げて放射性物質を拡散させようとしています。また、深刻な暮らしを余儀なくされている被災者や避難者への支援策は次々と縮小・廃止され続け、この3月末で福島県による区域外避難者への住宅支援も打ち切られることになりました。指定区域の解除に伴い、新たな「区域外避難者」が発生し、その支援策も打ち切られていくことは確実です。そして、「アンダーコントロール」発言に象徴されるように、放射線量の充分な調査も行わないままオリンピックを招致し、震災・原発事故からの「復興」を演出する最大の政治イベントとして利用しようとしています。福島原発事故が収束しないまま「安全宣言」をし、被災者を置き去りにしたままオリンピックを開催することは許されません。

私たちは、福島第一原発事故から8年が経ついま、あらためて原発の廃止を強く訴えます。韓国や台湾など同じ東アジアの国々でも、3.11の震災と原発事故を受けて、緑の党をはじめ多くの市民が日本への支援と脱原発を訴えて立ち上がりました。その結果、韓国でも台湾でも、一旦は大統領など政府トップからの脱原発宣言を引き出すに至っています。原発事故の当事国である日本がどのような選択をするのか、アジアの国々、そして世界に問われています。私たち日本の緑の党は、震災の被災者と原発事故被害者のみなさんの苦難に寄り添い、支援を続けます。そして、全原発の廃止と、遅くとも2050年までに省エネルギーと再生可能エネルギーによって全てのエネルギーを賄える未来を実現するため、韓国や台湾をはじめとする世界の緑の党とともにチャレンジを続けます。

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Statement
On the 8th Anniversary of the Fukushima Tragedy

March 11th, 2019
Steering Board of Greens Japan

March 11th, 2019 will mark the 8th Anniversary of East Japans Earthquake and disaster at TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi.  Greens Japan once again expresses their deepest and most heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the victims whose lives in and out of Fukushima was greatly affected, causing grief and anxiety.

Immediately following the Fukushima disaster, the Prime Minister at the time stopped all nuclear reactors in Japan to combat the devastation.  After several years the successor have been trying to the re-activate the reactors one by one, claiming there is not enough electricity without the reactors to support Japan.   However, in the summer of 2012, many people voiced the opposition by protesting in front of the House of Parliament.  Since then anti-nuclear voices remain strong and largely exceeding pro-nuclear ones.

Many Administrations since the disaster have tried to re-start nuclear reactors one-by-one but was challenged by numerous lawyers in different local courts who stood-up to keep their neighboring reactors inactive.  While almost all court decisions followed the government’s intention, two district courts (Fukui and Otsu) and one high court of appeal (Hiroshima) acknowledged groundbreaking decisions that their concerning nuclear plants were unsafe to be stopped.

During the last Eight years, citizens throughout the country have acted tenaciously to help victims in and outside of Fukushima.  Some have continued to help children reduce their radiation exposure and psychological stress by organizing many kinds of nursing camps.

With regards to Evacuees’ damage suits in the last two years, claimants won a series of judgments ruling that the responsibilities are not only of TEPCO but also, the state.  As a result, February 20th 2019, it was ruled by the Yokohama District Court, to compensate evacuees collectively totaling 419 million yen (about 4 million USD).

Abe administration and the Fukushima Prefecture have reduced many supportive measures, and by the end of March 2018, finally stopped most important housing aide.  As a result,evacuees were forced to return back to their home town due to lack of financial support, although their living conditions are deemed unsafe.  In addition, the Prefecture cancelled the designation of some area trying to push more people come back.

The Abe Administration has not found a solution to resolve the Fukushima Daiichi radiation that is being released into the atmosphere, ocean and soil.  Prime Minister Abe inaccurately announced that the “Fukushima is under control” when Tokyo placed its bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.  He obviously is trying to stage a “recovery” from earthquake and nuclear disaster by using the Olympic Games as a big political event.  Abe administration is responsible to disclose facts regarding radiation information to athletes and visitors to allow them to decide whether it is safe for them to travel to Japan.  We strongly oppose hosting the Tokyo Olympic Games with false “safety declaration” and wasting the resources that can be allocated to victim support.

We have opposed Mr. Abe’s “top sales” of nuclear export projects, and all of them failed.  It has become obvious that the nuclear power is only a past relic even though the ruling party and Federation of Economic Organizations are sticking to it.

When we look at the world, many governments and businesses consider the renewable energy and the energy saving as their key area of action.  They are making large-scale investments, so costs of renewable energy are being dramatically reduced to allow the energy shift to be a world trend.

Eight years ago, immediately following the earthquake and nuclear accident, many people, including the Greens of East Asian countries such as South Korea and Taiwan, stepped up to support Japanese victims and withdraw from nuclear power.  As a result, both Korea and Taiwan have drawn anti-nuclear declarations from their top government.  People in Asia and the world are watching the Japanese people, but more so, what actions the person in charge of nuclear accident will take.

We, the Greens Japan, will continue to support and stand with the victims of Fukushima in solidarity and strongly appeal for the abolishment of all nuclear power plants.  We will also continue to realize a 100% sustainable future by 2050, in reducing energy demand by half and covering the rest by renewable energy.