Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen.
My name is Katsutaka Idogawa and I come from Futaba Town in Fukushima
Prefecture where the nuclear accident occurred in March 2011. First of all, I
would like to express my sincere gratitude to Human Rights Now, the organizer
of this side event and to all the people who have provided me with support.
I would also like to extend my
gratitude to Mr. Anand Grover, the Special Rapporteur for the rights to health,
for his utmost efforts to date to realize his detailed report on the facts
finding visit in Fukushima last year.
Before the accident, the residents in
Futaba had been leading a healthy and peaceful life by respecting the human
rights. We hosted the construction of nuclear power plants on the condition
that a serious accident would never happen.
Whilst I was always worried about a
possible nuclear accident, the Nuclear Safety Agency and TEPCO reassured me by
saying that "Mr. Idogawa, such an accident will never happen. We can stop
it by cooling and confining the reactors. We guarantee the safety, so please do
not worry".
However, the level 7 nuclear
disaster, which is regarded as one of the worst ever nuclear accidents in our
history, occurred. Though the government of Japan gave me an instruction to
evacuate the population, they did not specify how and where and by when it
should have been carried out.
Yesterday the government of Japan
emphasized that they were making the utmost efforts to cope with the relevant
problems. However, the government had not neither approached me nor given me
any instruction amid the emergency. To whom their respectful measure was
addressed? Fukushima Prefecture Health Management Survey is being carried out
without reflecting the opinions and requests of the residents.
Moreover, the prefecture does not
disclose the results of the survey to each person. It is not until there is a
request for disclosure of the information that the prefecture reveals the data.
It means that Fukushima Prefecture is violating the right to know of the
residents. It is therefore the violation of human rights.
I would also like to draw your
attention to the fact that schools in Fukushima Prefecture has been using the
local produces for the school meal since April this year. It is possible as the
annual dose limit is set at 20mSv.
The accident is yet to be seized. The
damaged reactors are still emitting radioactivity. There is no improvement in
stopping the leakage of contaminated cooling water. Support bases in the
temporary housing have never been established.
I actually asked my former colleague
at the town office of Futaba about this support bases. They have not received
any relevant information from the government. It is evident that the government
and TEPCO are covering up a lot of information. They have never organized any
disaster management meeting for us.
They have never heard my opinions. To
the contrary, the government is trying to underestimate the impact of the
accident. I know one of the residents in Futaba underwent an operation for
thyroid cancer and this person has not informed the prefecture of it, as she is
afraid of information cover-up by them.
Fukushima Prefecture did not release
any data on environmental radioactivity prediction collected via SPEEDI (System
for Prediction of Environment Emergency Dose Information). Due to this, the
residents were unnecessarily exposed to a high dose of radiation.
I have been devoted myself to
accusing the government, Fukushima Prefecture and TEPCO of their lack of
responsibilities and urging them to provide us with sincere apologies and
compensations. I strongly hope that the government of Japan will prove their
burden for all what they have refuted in their statement against the report of
Mr. Anand Grover.
日本国 福島県 双葉町民 井戸川克隆
Katsutaka Idogawa, a resident of Futaba Town, Fukushima
Prefecture, Japan
You can see Special Rapporteur on the right to physical and
mental health present his report to the United Nations Human Rights Council
below:
His portion starts at (00:00:40).
You can also read his report here:
http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/RegularSession/Session23/A.HRC.23.41.Add.5_Rev.1_ENG.pdf]]>Many representatives from governments and NGOs attended and intently participated in the event.
Following S.R. Anand Grover's Report, the ex-mayor of Futaba, Mr. Idogawa Katsutaka, Morinaga Atsuko, who evacuated Fukishima Prefecture to Nagano Prefecture, and Iwata Wataru, founder of Citizens' Radiation Measurement Stations (CRMS), all spoke to the state of affairs in Fukushima after the accident. To the astonishment of many of the participants, it seemed that attendees from outside of Japan did not fully realize the grave impact that the Fukushima Nuclear disaster had on those living in the area.
Human Rights Now Secretary General Kazuko Ito called for international support stating: "In order for the Japanese Government to take outside counsel seriously, the disaster must be a matter of international concern."
To see the side event in Geneva please
follow the link below.
On May 28 as a part of the UNHRC's "Interactive Dialogue" Human Rights Now's Secretary General Kazuko Ito spoke in support of Special Rapporteur Anand Grover's report on continuing problems regarding the right to health in Japan in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
You can see the presentation at the link below:
Human Rights Now Secretary General Kazuko Ito's report can be seen at chapter 55 (at 02:58:49). Peace Boat's Meredith Joyce presents at chapter 57 (at 03:04:05) and Special Rapporteur Grover makes a continuing statement at chapter 59 (at 03:07:57).
Human Rights Now has released a companion statement to Special Rapporteur Grover's report which you can read here:
Human Rights Now
Immediate Release
10 years after the war, Innocent New Lives are Still
Dying and Suffering In Iraq.
Human Rights NGO publish the Report of a Fact Finding
Mission on Congenital Birth Defects in Fallujah, Iraq in 2013
This year marks the tenth
anniversary of the Iraq War. After the
war, particularly in the most recent few years, a deeply troubling rise in the numbers of birth defects has been reported by doctors in Iraq, leading to suspicions that environmental
contamination from the war may be having a significant negative effect on the
health of local people, and in particular infants and children. For instance in Fallujah, the city heavily attacked by the US twice in 2004, the
data of Fallujah General Hospital shows that around 15% of babies of all
births in Fallujah since 2003 have some congenital birth defect.
Human
Rights Now (HRN), a Tokyo based international human rights NGO in
consultative status with the UN Economic
and Social Council, conducted a fact-finding mission in Fallujah, Iraq in early
2013 to investigate the situation of the reported increasing number of birth defects in Iraq.
Today,
HRN published a report over 50 pages entitled "Innocent New
Lives are Still Dying and Suffering in Iraq" on this investigation.
Full Report:
Iraq Report April 2013.pdfAppendix:
This is the first investigation conducted by an international
human rights NGO on the congenital birth defect issue in Iraq since 2003.
Despite the gravity of the situation, there
has not been a sufficient investigation of the health consequences associated
with toxic
munitions in Iraq by the US,
UK or any independent international organization such as a UN body.
Through
one month period's extensive investigation, the fact finding team has found an
extraordinary situation of congenital birth defects in both nature and
quantity. The investigation suggested a significant
rise in these health consequences in the period following the war, and HRN
found that the rights to health and life of children have been seriously
violated in Fallujah, Iraq, and that the epidemic of
congenital birth defects in Iraq needs immediate
international attention.
The report
discloses documentation and
photos of over 70 cases of recent birth defects in Fallujah, with the
permission of the hospital and the families. "Although the disclosure of such incidents is an extremely sensitive
issue, the families and especially the mothers expressed a strong desire to
share their cases in order to highlight the birth defect situation in Iraq. We
sincerely hope many people in the world, especially the states concerned
as well as relevant international institutions,
know the gravity of the
victimization.", Kazuko Ito,
Secretary General of Human Rights Now stated.
An overview of scientific literature relating to
the effects of uranium and heavy metals associated with munitions used in the
2003 Iraq War and occupation, together with potential exposure pathways,
strongly suggest that environmental contamination resulting from combat during
the Iraq War may be playing a significant role in the observed rate of birth
defects. However, without sufficient disclosure
of information related to toxic weapons used during the conflict, the cause of
problem has not yet been identified.
In order to prevent further victimization of the lives of innocent
children, it is urgent that a comprehensive
investigation into the prevalence of birth defects and toxicity
related illnesses in Iraq be conducted, including any correlation between such
illnesses to scrap or munitions debris left by the Iraq conflict. It is essential to investigate the sources and spread of birth defects, identify causes,
establish effective public health policies and medical care, and provide
appropriate compensation for victims.
Human Rights Now therefore calls on the US and UK governments to disclose all
information regarding the types of weapons used during the occupation,
quantities fired, and exact firing points, and to take necessary measures to
protect the right to health and life of the local people if a pollution problem
is indicated.
Furthermore, HRN calls on the Iraqi government to establish an independent commission into investigating serious health problems reported after the war, and the UN Human Rights Council to establish measures for the investigation of all human rights abuses committed during the war, including the use of inhumane and toxic weapons. The outcomes of the WHO investigation into the birth defect issue in Iraq has yet to be publically released, but in the event of a public health issue being identified, HRN additionally urges the WHO to provide technical assistance and guidance in creating policies and measures to tackle the issue, as well as to consider conducting further investigations to try to better clarify the epidemiological nature of the phenomenon.
It marks tenth anniversary of the 2003 Iraq War on 20th March, 2013.
Human Rights Now send Open Letter to President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron on the justice and accountability for human rights violations during and after the Iraq War.
MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release:
CONTACT: Human Rights Now NY, March13HRNNY@gmail.com
Physicians for Social Responsibility, Alfred Meyer, 202-215-8208
Experts call for immediate action to protect the right to health of women, children and others affected by the nuclear accident in Fukushima.
March 13, Wednesday, 10:30AM to Noon, at the UN Church Center, NYC
Human Rights Now, Physicians for Social Responsibility, & Peace Boat US present:
WHAT: Since the March 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, individuals and communities in Japan continue to be exposed to dangerous levels of radioactivity. There are serious concerns about consequent health effects for pregnant women, mothers, children and others in contaminated areas. Residents have a right to live in a safe and healthy environment, however, sufficient protective measures and support are not being provided. The right to access medical treatment and the medical data about one's own body are being seriously denied.
A human rights expert from Japan, a medical doctor from Japan, and a medical doctor from the U.S. will speak about how the lives and health of local women, children and others in the Fukushima area are being affected after the disaster and what should be done to provide immediate relief. The actions called for in the December 15, 2012 Human Rights Now "Civil Society Statement" to immediately implement the recent recommendations by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health will be highlighted.
Q&A session will follow the presentations.
WHERE: UN Church Center, 777 United Nations Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10017
(44th Street & First Ave.)
WHEN: Wednesday, March 13, 2012, 10:30-noon
WHO:ऀProfessor Hiroko Goto, Human Rights Now, Japan
Dr. Hisako Sakiyama, M.D., Japan
Dr. Maureen McCue, M.D., Physicians for Social Responsibility, USA
Admission is free. UN pass is NOT required.
Please pre-register at March13HRNNY@gmail.com
Professor Hiroko Goto, Professor of Chiba University School of Law in Japan; Vice President of Human Rights Now; Board member of Japan Association of Gender and Law; Board member of Japanese Association of Victimology; Member of Science Council of Japan; and as a former expert member on violence against women for the Gender Equality Bureau was involved in the Basic Plan for Gender Equality in Japan. After receiving her LL.B. and LL.M. degrees from Keio University in Tokyo, where she also completed her Ph.D. studies in criminal law, Professor Goto became a leading expert on Japanese juvenile law and gender law. She has published many works in both English and Japanese on these topics. She is also the chief of the Human Rights Now's Earthquake Relief Project whose activities include fact-finding missions, policy proposals, lobbying activity, and seminars to raise awareness on the human rights situation in Fukushima and other areas affected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident in 2011.
Dr. Hisako Sakiyama, M.D., Ph.D., Member of the Takagi School of Alternative Scientists, a Japanese NGO established in 1998 to study the environment, nuclear issues, human rights, and other issues of modern society from the perspective of citizens and to create ways that scientists and prospective scientists can link their specialized expertise and capabilities with citizen movements; Former Research Associate at the MIT; Specialized in cancer cell biology as Former Senior Researcher at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) in Japan; and, Former member of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) which is a commission established by the Diet of Japan in 2011. She will be talking about how radiation related issues are taught in Japanese communities, collusion between International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) members and Japanese industries, and her findings as a member of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigative Commission.
Dr. Maureen McCue, M.D., Ph.D., Founding member, faculty, and former Director of the University of Iowa Global Health Studies Program; Founding member, faculty and executive committee member of the University Center for Human Rights; Medical Director for the Emma Goldman Feminist Clinic in Iowa City, Iowa; Coordinator of the Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility for 10 years; Board member of national Physicians for Social Responsibility; has traveled and worked extensively as a peacemaker, researcher, and physician. In 2000 she was instrumental in organizing a Global Assembly on the Right to Health calling for the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health; elements of this proposal helped the UN Commission on Human Rights establish this position in April 2002. She recently traveled to Japan where she met with medical representatives and health activists from Hiroshima, Tokyo, and Fukushima.
CO-SPONSORING ORGANIZATIONS:
HUMAN RIGHTS NOW: Human Rights Now (HRN), an international NGO in consultative status with the ECOSOC, is based in Tokyo with several hundreds of members composed of lawyers, scholars, journalists and concerned citizens. In July 2011, on behalf of a coalition of civil society groups in Japan, Human Rights Now requested the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for a Special Rapporteur to investigate the human rights situation after the disaster. In response to the request, Mr. Anand Grover, the Special Rapporteur on the right to health, visited Japan in November 2012. Recently, HRN submitted a joint statement, signed by more than 70 civil societies in Japan and worldwide, urging the IAEA and the Japanese government to take a rights-based approach in response to the nuclear disaster based on the recent preliminary findings and recommendations issued by Mr. Grover in November. To raise awareness of the situation in Fukushima after the nuclear accident, HRN NY has organized human rights seminars and a press conference to inform the international community about the ongoing crisis. (http://hrn.or.jp/eng/)
PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) advocates for sound public health policies regarding exposure to radioactive and other toxic materials, and is the medical and public health voice working to prevent the use or spread of nuclear weapons, to slow, stop and reverse global warming and the toxic degradation of the environment. Fukushima presents an immediate challenge to protect those individuals most endangered by exposure to dangerous levels of radioactivity, and to adequately and openly track the health consequences of the ongoing irradiation of populations. PSR was founded in 1961 and succeeded in achieving the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty that ended the global radioactive contamination produced by atmospheric nuclear bomb testing. PSR shared in the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), for building public pressure to push their governments to end the nuclear arms race. (http://www.psr.org/)
PEACE BOAT US: Peace Boat US is a civil society, non-profit organization working to promote peace, human rights, equitable and sustainable development, and respect for the environment throughout the United States and the world. These goals are pursued through peace education programs, including onboard conferences, workshops, face-to-face encounters and field studies. Peace Boat US upholds The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century, including the promotion of the non-violent prevention and resolution of conflict among nations and peoples, and the development of a culture of peace. (http://www.peaceboat-us.org/)
22nd Regular Session (25 February - 22 March 2013)
Item 4: Human Rights Situations that Require the Council's Attention
Iraq: Grave Human Rights Violations during the War and Occupation in Iraq
Written statement by Human Rights Now (HRN)
Human Rights Now (HRN) urges the United Nations Human Rights Council to conduct impartial investigations by an independent inquiry of the UN on human rights violations in Iraq that happened during the invasion and occupation by the coalition forces. A decade after the 2003 Iraq War, investigations of health consequences associated with toxic weapons such as depleted uranium remain insufficient. It is crucial to identify those who are accountable in accordance with international human rights standards, international humanitarian law, and the "polluter pays" principle in international environmental law.
Iraq_HRC.pdf]]>
Human Rights Now (HRN) calls for the United Nations Human Rights Council to continue its mandate on serious human rights situations in Myanmar which remain rampant. Myanmar still holds oppressive laws such as the 1962 Printers and Publishers Registration Laws that violate international human rights standards. Moreover, civil conflicts in Kachin and Northern Shan states have been continuing with severe human rights violations conducted by the Myanmar military. HRN is gravely concern that the currently growing overseas investments in Myanmar will potentially accelerate human rights violations and make it more challenging to tackle the root causes of conflicts in Myanmar.
Burma_HRC.pdf