●We must stand up against these dangerous Japanese government policies. Let’s fight back together!
We would like to ask you to:
1. Inform your family and friends of the danger of the 2020 Radioactive Tokyo Olympics.
2. Contact your governmental officials and tell them NOT to send any
athletes and visitors of your country to Japan. Demand the Japanese
Embassy or Consulate STOP the Tokyo Olympics.
3. Join us in our action on Sep 29, 2019 in Osaka, Japan or hold similar events in your community on the same day or any day!
We, Go West, Come West!!!, is scheduled to hold a speech and march
action on Sep, 29,‘Say NO to hiding the real health damages from
Fukushima radiation exposure’Get together so that we can stop this
madness!
<Day and time> Sunday Sep 29, 2:00pm
<Address> 5th floor of Osaka Sumai Jyoho Center (6-4-20 Tenjinbashi Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0041)
우리는 후쿠시마 원전사고 피난자와 지원자로 구성된 단체 ‘Go West Come West!!!’ (고 웨스트 캄 웨스트)입니다. 우리는 피난자로서 한국을 비롯해 세계각국이 도쿄 올림픽을 보이콧하는 것을 지지하고 연대합니다. 아래에 일본정부가 숨기고 있는 방사능오염의 위험성을 전해 드립니다.
일본정부의 과소평가된 데이터에서조차 후쿠시마 제1 원전 사고로 히로시마에 투하된 원자력폭탄이 방출한 세슘137의 168배나 되는 양의 세슘137이 방출됐다는 것이 드러나고 있습니다. 히로시마에 쏟아진 방사성강하물 (‘죽음의 재’)의 약 168배입니다. 일본 수상인 아베 신조는 ‘(후쿠시마 사고로 인한) 건강에 관한 문제는 지금까지도 현재도 앞으로도 완전히 없다는 것은 확실히 말씀 드리고자 합니다’라고 선언했습니다. 이 주장은 히로시마 원자력폭탄의 ‘죽음의 재’로 인한 건강 피해는 없었다는 것이나 다름 없습니다. 완전히 근거가 없는 주장이며 분명히 거짓말입니다.
★후쿠시마 원전사고는 수습되지 않았습니다. 원전사고는 지금도 계속되고 있습니다. 매일 매일 지금 이 순간에도 고농도 방사성 물질이 원자로건물의 위쪽으로도 아래쪽으로도 계속 누출되고 있습니다. 공기, 물, 흙, 바다, 음식물 등 사람이 사는 기본이 되는 모든 것이 이 원전사고로 인한 방사능 때문에 지금도 계속 심각하게 오염되고 있습니다. 후쿠시마 뿐만 아니라 도쿄까지 포함한 동일본 전역이 오염되고 있어 체르노빌 사고의 기준으로 보아 피난이 필요한 지역이나 피난의 권리가 보장될 지역에 몇 천만 명이나 되는 주민들이 살고 있습니다. 그러나 일본정부는 사실을 전혀 전해 주지 않고 아무런 도움도 주지 않으며 주민들을 못 본체하고 있습니다. 최근에 후쿠시마의 부흥을 담당하던 중심 인물 4명이 잇달아 비교적 젊은 나이에 사망했습니다. 전 부흥청 장관, 전 부흥청 부장관, 전 환경성 정무관, 그리고 후쿠시마현 나미에마치 현직 정장입니다. 지금이야말로 우리는 진실을 직시할 필요가 있습니다.
★정부가 하고 있는 일―― 그것은 은폐입니다. 일본정부, 도쿄전력(TEPCO), 주류 언론들은 모든 권력을 행사하며 후쿠시마 원전사고의 진상을 은폐하려 하고 있습니다. 은폐의 목적은 사고의 책임을 지지 않기 위함이고, 막대한 건강피해에 대한 배상금을 지불하지 않기 위함입니다. 정부는 ‘방사선 관리구역’의 4배나 오염된 지역으로 원전사고 피난자들을 귀환시키고 있습니다. 원자로 시설 및 방사선 의료 시설 등에서는 3개월에 1.3밀리시버트(mSv) (5.2mSv/년) 또는 40, 000bq/m2를 초과할 우려가 있는 구역은 ‘방사선 관리구역’으로 지정되고 있습니다. 이 구역은 출입이 엄격히 제한되어 있습니다. 어린이들이 출입하는 것과 음식물을 먹거나 마시는 것은 금지되어 있습니다. 그러나 현재 일본정부는 ‘방사선 관리구역’ 지정 수준의 약 4배, 연간 20밀리시버트(20mSv/y)까지인 오염지역에 사람들이 귀환하여 거주하도록 독촉하고 있습니다.
★정부는 ‘후쿠시마는 안전하다’는 이미지 만들기를 위해서 2020년 도쿄 올림픽을 이용하려고 합니다.
그러나 도쿄 역시 위험합니다. 일본정부는 올림픽을 이용해서 진실을 은폐하려고 합니다. 정부는 고액의 자금을 써서 ‘방사능은 안전하다’는 안전신화를 국내외에서 선전하며, 후쿠시마는 이제 완전히 안전하다고 사람들을 속이고 있습니다. 정부는 올림픽 선수 및 방문객에게 후쿠시마산 식재료를 먹이려 하고 있습니다. 또 정부는 선수나 해외에서의 방문객들의 식사에 후쿠시마현산 식재료를 골고루 사용하는 계획을 수립하고 있습니다. (요미우리신문2018년7월24일자). 후쿠시마현 등 방사능오염도가 높은 지역의 경기장과 시설에서 몇 가지 경기를 실시하는 것도 예정하고 있습니다 (특히 야구와 소프트볼). 이런 것으로 선수들과 관객들이 공기중에 부유하는 불용성방사성입자를 흡입해 심각한 건강피해를 일으키게 되는 것이 우려됩니다. 도쿄 카츠시카구의 수돗물도 일본정부의 측정에 따라도 0.00481Bq/kg의 세슘 오염이 발견되었습니다 (2018년6월의 수도꼭지에서 나온 물로 측정함). 원자력규제청 사이트는 https://radioactivity.nsr.go .jp/ja/list/194/list-1.html 이것은 일반 가정(연간 수도 사용량을 30만 리터로 가정하면)에서는 연간에 1500Bq 정도의 오염을 당하는 수준입니다.
★정부는 후쿠시마 사고로 인한 건강피해를 전부 부정하고 있습니다. 그러나 건강피해는 확대하고 있습니다. 후쿠시마현에 의하면 지금까지 어린이 인구 36만명 중에 209명이나 되는 어린이가 소아갑상선암이라는 진단을 받았습니다. 보통 방사능의 영향이 없을 경우 소아갑상선암의 발증률은 지극히 드물어 연간에 약 100만 명에 1명 꼴입니다. 그러나 정부는 방사능과의 관련성을 부정하고 있습니다. 방사능에 의한 피폭 (특히 내부피폭)은 암이나 백혈병 뿐만 아니라, 혈관, 심근, 뇌신경세포 등 다양한 형태로 인간의 주요한 장기 세포를 회사시키거나 세포의 손상을 일으킵니다. 후쿠시마 원전사고 이후, 심근경색, 심부전, 돌연사, 뇌졸중, 알츠하이머병의 급격한 증가가 보고되고 있습니다. 많은 피난자의 가족, 친구, 친척, 지인들이 후쿠시마 원전사고로 인한 병에 쓰러지고 있습니다. 그 수는 지금도 계속 늘어나고 있습니다. 건강피해 데이터와 증언:https://www.gowest-comewest.net/higai/ 도쿄 올림픽에서 활약이 기대되었던 수영 선수인 이케에 리카코 선수가 올해 18살 나이에 백혈병에 걸리고 말았습니다. 그녀는 도쿄에서 원전 사고 직후에 방사능이 검출된 가나마치 정수장 계열의 풀에서 계속 수영 연습을 했었고 도쿄에서 가장 방사선량이 높은 에도가와구에 살고 있었습니다. 그녀는 후쿠시마 원전사고 때에 10살이었는데 히로시마 원폭으로 백혈병에 걸린 사람의 피폭시 연령도 10살이 가장 많았습니다. 이렇게 유명인들의 큰병 보도가 분명히 늘어나고 있습니다. 이것은 일반인의 큰병 증가의 반영이라고 할 수 있습니다.
★오염된 방사성 폐기물을 일본 전국의 공공 사업에서 재이용 하려 하고 있습니다. 정부의 제염 작업으로 고농도로 방사능오염된 2200만톤이나 되는 ‘방사성 폐기물’이 들어간 검은 포대(플레콘백)가 산 처럼 쌓여 있습니다. 현재, 정부는 이 오염된 흙 등을 공공 사업에서 재이용하여 방사능오염 물질을 전국으로 흩뿌리려 하고 있습니다.
★정부는 트리튬(삼중수소) 오염수를 해양폐기하려 하고 있습니다. 정부와 도쿄전력(TEPCO)은 사고를 일으킨 후쿠시마 원자력 발전소 부지 내의 탱크에 저장하고 있는 트리튬(삼중수소) 오염수 100만톤 이상을 바다에 방출하려 하고 있습니다. 트리튬은 수소의 방사성동위원소로서, 수소로서 행동하며 체내 모든 부위에 깊숙이 들어가 몹시 위험합니다. DNA, 게놈, 단백질, 효소, 지방, 뇌 조직 등에 손상을 미치게 합니다. 바다에 폐기하려 하는 트리튬의 양은 약 1∼3페타베크렐 (10의 15승Bq)이라고 추정됩니다. 이것은 후쿠시마 사고 전에 일본에 있었던 모든 원자력 발전소가 1년간에 방출했던 총량 (5년간 평균으로 0.38PBq)의 3∼8년분에 상당합니다. 이 계획이 실행으로 옮겨지면 태평양, 물고기나 해양생물, 바다의 생태계, 나아가서는 공기와 빗물이 방사능으로 오염되는 것은 피할 수 없습니다.
우리는 더 이상 세계 사람들을 피폭시키는 가해자가 되고 싶지 않습니다.
일본정부와 IOC는 2020년 도쿄 올림픽을 중단해야 합니다. 우리는 중단을 요구해 행동하고 있습니다. 세계 곳곳에서도 중단을 요구하는 목소리를 높이거나 보이콧 행동을 강화해 주세요.
(Translated and edited by Etsuji Watanabe and Nozomi Isizu)
In Japanese : https://www.gowest-comewest.net/2019/08/06/2019-08-09hiroshima/
Friends, evacuees and supporters! This is Ryota Sono.
We are very pleased to inform you that we successfully completed the August 6 Hiroshima Action for Appeal without any serious trouble with the police and extreme rightwing activists. Our ten members were able to get a lot of participants from daytime meetings, with even refreshments gifted by them, and handed out all the leaflets that we had brought in. Special thanks to the participants from distant places in exhausting schedules and scorching weather!
The below is a report on our evening action including the first-stage interference by the security firm supposedly coordinated with the authorities. Part 1 is written by me, Part 2 by Yoko Shimosawa.
It would be greatly appreciated if you could spread this document to your friends and acquaintances.
———— Part1 ————
Overview
Again this year, we, Go West and Come West Japan, an organization of nuclear evacuees from Tohoku and Kanto regions (including Fukushima and Tokyo areas) and their supporters, organized an action in Hiroshima on August 6, the 74th anniversary of the United States atomic bombing.
The action was named “NO to A-bomb/nuke-power/radiation! NO to covering-up health damage for nukes! 3.11 refugees and friends’ Hiroshima Appeal on Motoyasu bridge in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park”.
The purpose was to convey the following messages to those who gathered in the park on “the night” of August 6, when largest number of people were expected to gather from inside and outside the country. Specifically:
(1) Stop the Japanese government covering up the radiation exposure damage of both Hiroshima/Nagasaki atomic bombings and the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, as well as sacrificing the victims, especially returnees to highly contaminated areas in Fukushima, which is tantamount to secret radiological mass murder organized by the Japanese government.
(2) Convey the danger that the Tokyo Olympics entails with the authorities entirely disregarding radiation exposure risks, and demand the government cancel it.
(3) Stop the U.S. government preparing new nuclear war with ‘usable’ nuclear weapons. The cover-up of radiation exposure in Japan has reached a critical stage where we cannot help suspecting that the aim of the cover-up has something to do with the now-preparing United States use of small-sized nuclear weapons.
We distributed the handouts: “Tokyo as well as Fukushima Is NOT Radiologically Safe. “The Government of Japan is Making Tokyo Olympics Radiating Fields of Athletes and Visitors” : http://ur0.work/Yuih
This flier included the appeal for an international unified action on September 29, 2019, against new nuclear arms race and new nuclear war preparations, as well as against Fukushima radiation damage cover-ups :
https://www.gowest-comewest.net/our-missions/
Last year, we experienced an upsurge of our action with so many visitors from overseas and second generation atomic bomb survivors attending our impromptu meeting and sharing the hidden health damage of nuclear disasters. In the end of the action, however, the Hiroshima Prefectural Police unlawfully arrested one of our members, supposedly because of this upsurge.
But this crackdown has determined us never to succumb to such a threat! So we have made it this year on the same Motoyasu bridge! By increasing the numbers of activists and shooting cameras we had prepared for an unexpected situation.
Prelude
On 5-6th in August in the Peace Park, many civic meetings, demonstrations, panel displays are performed freely by many groups coming from the whole country. On the morning of 6th of this year nothing unlike last year was witnessed on the bridge at all. But late afternoon suddenly the sidewalk and road were divided by corns and poles (see the photographs below) though it is a vehicle-free promenade. And the signs were posted displaying “Loudspeaker campaign without permission prohibited” and ”Don’t stop walking”. A large number of security guards and the police officers were stationed there.
The bridge was blocked by a security firm
Wasn’t this the regulation exclusively targeting our appeal? Just like last year, we were the only group which held demonstration on this bridge, although last year ours was a very small action by only four people.
It was clear their intention to crack down was targeted at the content of our action － “speaking openly in 8.6 Hiroshima to those from all over Japan and the world about the risks and real health damage caused by the Fukushima-disaster-induced internal radiation exposure, which the Japanese government is systematically covering up.” If so, we, the nuclear refugees and friends cannot and will not give it up.
These days, freedom of expression is in danger and the government’s interference is becoming more and more intense. Therefore, first of all, I would like to write down a memorandum so that our experience can be useful for negotiations in such cases.
Negotiation
At first we entered into negotiation with the security firm. We held many cameras, thinking that this could more effectively prevent the police from intervening than a small number of people without recording the situation. With that in mind:
(1)First confirming the situation.
We asked one of the guards “who was regulating what?”
His answer was that a security firm obtained permission to use the road on the whole bridge because it was expected to be crowded with people seeing the Toro-Nagashi, floating of lanterns (photograph below), and their purpose was to secure smooth traffic and prevent troubles.” That was a stock phrase used by the police for the road regulation.
Toro-Nagashi, floating of lanterns
(Note: this suggested that all the arrangement might have been instructed by the police. The bridge is located in the site of the Park, therefore outside the direct jurisdiction of the police, so the police, being afraid of raising antipathy of people if they stood out, might use the security firm to come to the fore.
(2) A police officer then interrupted by saying to us “do not make trouble.” → We urged the police to stay away, citing the principle that police stay out of civil disputes → We requested the guard to call their chief”.
(3) The person in charge came.
We said to him, “this is a part of the public park, usable for anyone. Besides, the Peace Park on the very day of August 6. It is the city of Hiroshima that sponsors the floating of lanterns and the city authorities do not interfere in any civic actions. No way, can a private security firm occupy the bridge arbitrarily and hinder free civic actions? Neither, can there be any legal grounds? → The chief responded, “But do you have the permit of the police necessary for street propaganda?”
(4) We replied “Permits of the police are not necessary for street propaganda, which is confirmed by the High Court judgment.” We searched “the Yurakucho judgment” in my smartphone and showed it to him.
https://www.jcp.or.jp/akahata/aik4/2005-08-11/2005081112faq_01_0.html
“Permission is unnecessary, because we use only a part of the road, we do not cause the traffic interference either.” →The chief said “I did not know that” and began to soften.
(5) We said, “We are going to make an appeal about the damage the radiation exposure causes, which is the best match with this place and date. I believe that you share the same feelings with us. If any trouble happened we could handle it. No problem.” → The person in charge said “Understood. But set the volume modestly.” He withdrew from there, saying “If anything happens let us know.”
After that both the security firm and the police stood by and waited, but they did not interfere at all.
The government and the police are aiming at people spontaneously giving up their rights. A right is what people are to fight and gain specifically. Let’s go out and take action.
———— Part2 ————
Action completed
No one was arrested this year. What a relief!
We finished our Hiroshima action near the ground zero of the U.S. atomic bombing on the evening of August 6. Afterwards we held a tiny party with beer cans and bentos at the bank of Motoyasu bridge to celebrate our mission completed. (Thank you, the members of Heiwa no Tsudoi (meeting for peace) for giving us good foods and drinks).
Some of our members said, “last year it would have been impossible for us to have such negotiations with the police. Only four of us participated our action last year. But this year the number was 10 thanks to advance notifications. Police won’t look down on us when more of us are present. That’s the lesson we’ve learned.”
We discussed, “After all, it’s surprising that our such small action of last year heightened the alert level of the police so dramatically this year. The key point is topics of our appeal: the tragedy of Hiroshima is connected with Fukushima nuclear disaster, the real picture of radioactive contamination in the eastern Japan, and radiation-induced health damage.”
This year we had more speakers and their speeches were impressive.
Ms Kiyoko Mito, a famous no-nukes activist in Japan, stopped by and gave a moving speech which included all the things I wanted to express.
Ms Mito appealing passionately to passer-by
Nearly half of the people who were reading our handouts, looking at the radio-contamination map of Japan spread on the street, and listening to my English speech were foreign visitors. It was worth the time I had devoted to practicing my speech.
Lessons
Nuclear weapon burns us alive to death from outside and destroy our body from inside. This is what all nukes are really about.
The true meaning of ongoing Fukushima nuclear accident, or rather a nuclear disaster, lies there. We needed to tell that story to people here in Hiroshima. I was very grateful that we were able to protect ourselves from the police and secure this place for speeches.
The words engraved in the stone at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is “the error shall not be repeated” (direct translation from Japanese). Committed to this oath, we will never overlook lives being deprived or being killed. This is the sole reason that we stood there and I wanted to stand there. I lost words seeing those security guards and police standing in our way. “What are they that we are dealing with?”
We are the same human beings and we are all being exposed by radiation time after time. Among those guards and police many have daughters and sons. It should be natural that parents want to protect their children.
I wish one day all people held each other’s hands, beyond the barrier, in order to ‘protect’ lives. Just like I had an opportunity to make speech there. I feel that the time of 74 years ago is connected straight to the present.
I want all people to be aware that we are forced to march along the same course leading to the same “error.” I hope that we can hold an event like this next year too, wishing more and more people to participate in our action. Now I am on my way home from Hiroshima.
Memory
I just remembered a song I sang with pupils for a play at a school festival when I was an elementary school teacher.
The scene was about a town changing rapidly with an autocratic king.
The king’s men sang this song, called ‘Ban’.
His Majesty’s banned it, banned it.
It’s banned (a commander)
It’s banned (all)
Never ever (a commander),
Never ever do that (all)
The song went on like this.
Were the king’s men those police?
