[TODAY'S TOP STORIES] from [The Japan Times]
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Government loses A-bomb suit
原爆症訴訟で国が敗訴
High court rules 29 of 30 plaintiffs are radiation victims, raising pressure to review criteria
(Kyodo News) The Tokyo High Court ruled Thursday that the government should certify 29 of 30 plaintiffs as suffering from illness caused by radiation from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scrapping a lower court ruling that recognized just 21.
The decision marks the 18th consecutive defeat for the government in district and high courts concerning suits over certification of atomic bomb victims, placing it under further pressure to review its certification criteria once more.
"The screening rules are inappropriate in certifying atomic bomb-related diseases," presiding Judge Tatsuki Inada said.
The court ruled that the link between diseases and radiation from the bombs should be decided after a comprehensive evaluation of the applicant, and that plaintiffs with liver failure and less than normal thyroid functions, which are excluded from the list of specific diseases the government will proactively certify, should be certified as atomic-bomb victims.
"I am very excited," said Hidenori Yamamoto, who led the plaintiffs.
"I did not expect such a good ruling to be given to us," he said. "There was one person who was not recognized, and I am determined to fight until the day all plaintiffs are given redress."
In dismissing the one plaintiff's claim, the court cited difficulty in establishing links between his illness and radiation exposure. It also rejected their demand for 3 million in damages per person.
"Already 14 plaintiffs have died in the course of the trial, and the government should understand its cruelty," the plaintiffs' lawyer, Shoji Takamizawa, said. "We waited six years. The damages should have been awarded."
The Tokyo District Court ruled in March 2007 that 21 of the 30 plaintiffs were bomb sufferers but rejected claims for damages and recognition by nine plaintiffs, saying it was difficult to establish any link between their illnesses and their exposure to atomic bomb radiation.
The district court ruled that the government should not decide on certification by simply applying the criteria, but rather take a broader approach and look at how applicants were exposed to radiation, what immediate symptoms they developed, what they did, and how they led their lives afterward.
The government eased its criteria in April 2008, but about a third of the plaintiffs — including those who were already recognized by the court as sufferers of atomic bomb-related diseases — remain unrecognized.
The plaintiffs, who had cancer, cirrhosis or other diseases, initially filed suit with the district court seeking reversal of the government's decision not to recognize them as A-bomb sufferers and rewards of 3 million in damages per person.
Certified victims are eligible for medical allowances worth 137,000 a month.
A total of about 300 people nationwide have filed suits seeking certification at 17 district courts, and 13 district courts and four high courts had ruled in favor of the plaintiffs prior to Thursday.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Concern greets nomination of new U.S. envoy
次期米大使に歓迎の意
Roos, a diplomatic novice, has strong ties to Obama
By JUN HONGO and MASAMI ITO
Staff writers
The nomination Thursday of a virtually unknown lawyer as the next U.S. ambassador to Japan was greeted with more concern than optimism by experts and the government.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura welcomed the nomination of John Roos, calling it "proof that the Obama administration considers the Japan-U.S. alliance important."
Kawamura brushed off concern that Roos lacks diplomatic experience, saying there are specialists to support the ambassador, whoever he or she is. Instead, the top government spokesman said Japan is counting on the strong personal ties between Roos and President Barack Obama.
"We harbor expectations that Roos will have a hotline connection to the president to deal with major issues," Kawamura said.
But many, including some Foreign Ministry officials, acknowledged they didn't know anything about Roos until the media began reporting that the California lawyer was the probable nominee.
One ministry official said he remembered seeing Roos' name on a list of possible ambassadors, but that was as far as his knowledge went.
Yoshimitsu Nishikawa, a professor of international relations at Toyo University, said the nomination is a "sign of Japan passing," and that Roos appears to lack diplomatic experience and is unlikely to be deeply knowledgeable about the Japan-U.S. relationship.
Nishikawa contrasted the nomination with that of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. as the U.S. ambassador to China, who was presented to the media by Obama himself earlier this month.
Huntsman, who speaks fluent Mandarin, "is a politician of presidential candidate caliber," Nishikawa said, adding that Washington clearly wasn't as interested in filling the Tokyo post.
While Roos may be good at raising funds for a presidential campaign, his diplomatic ability and knowledge of Asia remain unclear. The previous ambassador to Japan, Thomas Schieffer, may not have had extensive experience in politics, but he did boast a keen knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region after serving as ambassador to Australia prior to his stint in Japan.
If confirmed by the Senate, Roos will be filling the shoes of some major political figures, like former Vice President Walter Mondale, former White House chief of staff Howard Baker and former Sen. Mike Mansfield.
Just a few weeks ago, the appointment of Joseph Nye, a former assistant secretary of defense, as ambassador to Japan looked like a sure bet, since the Harvard professor is a specialist on the Japan-U.S. security alliance and sees the relationship as the cornerstone for peace and stability in Asia.
The Japanese media have reacted to the Roos nomination by calling it a "ronkokosho," a reward post given by Obama for his support during the presidential campaign.
Toyo University's Nishikawa said Japan should get over the shock fast and ask not what Roos will do for Japan, but think about what Japan can get out of Washington through the new ambassador.
"This really comes down to the government's diplomatic capabilities, and how they can make best of the personal connection Roos reportedly has with President Obama," Nishikawa said.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Immigration bills threaten rights of foreigners: critics
入管法改正案、外国人を管理、監視強化の恐れ
By ALEX MARTIN
Staff writer
Representatives of municipalities and human rights groups voiced their opposition Thursday to government-sponsored immigration bills they say will lead to violations of foreigners' rights and excessive control over them.
The proposed bills would issue new "zairyu" (residency) cards to replace their alien registration cards. Failure to carry the cards or report any changes in status could lead to a fine of up to 200,000, and failure to comply within three months could lead to one's visa being canceled.
Alien registration is currently handled by local ward offices, but the new bills would hand responsibility for that task — and any records collected — to the Justice Ministry.
Hiroko Uehara, the former mayor of the city of Kunitachi in western Tokyo, refused to connect the municipality's resident registry network to the nationwide Juki Net network in 2002 to protect residents' privacy. She warned that transferring the management of alien registration from municipalities to immigration offices would reduce the quality of service for foreign residents.
"Municipalities have so far made an effort to provide, at their own discretion, services to foreign residents," Uehara told a gathering in Tokyo. "But if immigration takes control of registration, all that effort will be lost," she said.
According to estimates by the Justice Ministry, municipalities have issued registration cards to roughly 20,000 illegal foreign residents in Japan, and the problem has been blamed on the government's lack of authority to check registration data.
Tomoko Ishii of Amnesty International said that the new bills would exacerbate the situation for refugees entering Japan, who are generally not eligible for social insurance and many other benefits. "In the past, municipalities offered services to those refugees they thought were in dire need of help," Ishii said, warning that if the government took over such matters, refugees will receive no such support.
Takao Yamada, an official of the city of Kawasaki who used to handle alien registrations, expressed disappointment that the new bills offer no improvement on the current system.
"Nothing will change," he said, reflecting on his past efforts to provide adequate support to foreign residents in Kawasaki. "Why is it only the foreigners that need to deal with this system?" he asked.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Government loses A-bomb suit
原爆症訴訟で国が敗訴
High court rules 29 of 30 plaintiffs are radiation victims, raising pressure to review criteria
(Kyodo News) The Tokyo High Court ruled Thursday that the government should certify 29 of 30 plaintiffs as suffering from illness caused by radiation from the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, scrapping a lower court ruling that recognized just 21.
The decision marks the 18th consecutive defeat for the government in district and high courts concerning suits over certification of atomic bomb victims, placing it under further pressure to review its certification criteria once more.
"The screening rules are inappropriate in certifying atomic bomb-related diseases," presiding Judge Tatsuki Inada said.
The court ruled that the link between diseases and radiation from the bombs should be decided after a comprehensive evaluation of the applicant, and that plaintiffs with liver failure and less than normal thyroid functions, which are excluded from the list of specific diseases the government will proactively certify, should be certified as atomic-bomb victims.
"I am very excited," said Hidenori Yamamoto, who led the plaintiffs.
"I did not expect such a good ruling to be given to us," he said. "There was one person who was not recognized, and I am determined to fight until the day all plaintiffs are given redress."
In dismissing the one plaintiff's claim, the court cited difficulty in establishing links between his illness and radiation exposure. It also rejected their demand for 3 million in damages per person.
"Already 14 plaintiffs have died in the course of the trial, and the government should understand its cruelty," the plaintiffs' lawyer, Shoji Takamizawa, said. "We waited six years. The damages should have been awarded."
The Tokyo District Court ruled in March 2007 that 21 of the 30 plaintiffs were bomb sufferers but rejected claims for damages and recognition by nine plaintiffs, saying it was difficult to establish any link between their illnesses and their exposure to atomic bomb radiation.
The district court ruled that the government should not decide on certification by simply applying the criteria, but rather take a broader approach and look at how applicants were exposed to radiation, what immediate symptoms they developed, what they did, and how they led their lives afterward.
The government eased its criteria in April 2008, but about a third of the plaintiffs — including those who were already recognized by the court as sufferers of atomic bomb-related diseases — remain unrecognized.
The plaintiffs, who had cancer, cirrhosis or other diseases, initially filed suit with the district court seeking reversal of the government's decision not to recognize them as A-bomb sufferers and rewards of 3 million in damages per person.
Certified victims are eligible for medical allowances worth 137,000 a month.
A total of about 300 people nationwide have filed suits seeking certification at 17 district courts, and 13 district courts and four high courts had ruled in favor of the plaintiffs prior to Thursday.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Concern greets nomination of new U.S. envoy
次期米大使に歓迎の意
Roos, a diplomatic novice, has strong ties to Obama
By JUN HONGO and MASAMI ITO
Staff writers
The nomination Thursday of a virtually unknown lawyer as the next U.S. ambassador to Japan was greeted with more concern than optimism by experts and the government.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura welcomed the nomination of John Roos, calling it "proof that the Obama administration considers the Japan-U.S. alliance important."
Kawamura brushed off concern that Roos lacks diplomatic experience, saying there are specialists to support the ambassador, whoever he or she is. Instead, the top government spokesman said Japan is counting on the strong personal ties between Roos and President Barack Obama.
"We harbor expectations that Roos will have a hotline connection to the president to deal with major issues," Kawamura said.
But many, including some Foreign Ministry officials, acknowledged they didn't know anything about Roos until the media began reporting that the California lawyer was the probable nominee.
One ministry official said he remembered seeing Roos' name on a list of possible ambassadors, but that was as far as his knowledge went.
Yoshimitsu Nishikawa, a professor of international relations at Toyo University, said the nomination is a "sign of Japan passing," and that Roos appears to lack diplomatic experience and is unlikely to be deeply knowledgeable about the Japan-U.S. relationship.
Nishikawa contrasted the nomination with that of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. as the U.S. ambassador to China, who was presented to the media by Obama himself earlier this month.
Huntsman, who speaks fluent Mandarin, "is a politician of presidential candidate caliber," Nishikawa said, adding that Washington clearly wasn't as interested in filling the Tokyo post.
While Roos may be good at raising funds for a presidential campaign, his diplomatic ability and knowledge of Asia remain unclear. The previous ambassador to Japan, Thomas Schieffer, may not have had extensive experience in politics, but he did boast a keen knowledge of the Asia-Pacific region after serving as ambassador to Australia prior to his stint in Japan.
If confirmed by the Senate, Roos will be filling the shoes of some major political figures, like former Vice President Walter Mondale, former White House chief of staff Howard Baker and former Sen. Mike Mansfield.
Just a few weeks ago, the appointment of Joseph Nye, a former assistant secretary of defense, as ambassador to Japan looked like a sure bet, since the Harvard professor is a specialist on the Japan-U.S. security alliance and sees the relationship as the cornerstone for peace and stability in Asia.
The Japanese media have reacted to the Roos nomination by calling it a "ronkokosho," a reward post given by Obama for his support during the presidential campaign.
Toyo University's Nishikawa said Japan should get over the shock fast and ask not what Roos will do for Japan, but think about what Japan can get out of Washington through the new ambassador.
"This really comes down to the government's diplomatic capabilities, and how they can make best of the personal connection Roos reportedly has with President Obama," Nishikawa said.
[NATIONAL NEWS]
Friday, May 29, 2009
Immigration bills threaten rights of foreigners: critics
入管法改正案、外国人を管理、監視強化の恐れ
By ALEX MARTIN
Staff writer
Representatives of municipalities and human rights groups voiced their opposition Thursday to government-sponsored immigration bills they say will lead to violations of foreigners' rights and excessive control over them.
The proposed bills would issue new "zairyu" (residency) cards to replace their alien registration cards. Failure to carry the cards or report any changes in status could lead to a fine of up to 200,000, and failure to comply within three months could lead to one's visa being canceled.
Alien registration is currently handled by local ward offices, but the new bills would hand responsibility for that task — and any records collected — to the Justice Ministry.
Hiroko Uehara, the former mayor of the city of Kunitachi in western Tokyo, refused to connect the municipality's resident registry network to the nationwide Juki Net network in 2002 to protect residents' privacy. She warned that transferring the management of alien registration from municipalities to immigration offices would reduce the quality of service for foreign residents.
"Municipalities have so far made an effort to provide, at their own discretion, services to foreign residents," Uehara told a gathering in Tokyo. "But if immigration takes control of registration, all that effort will be lost," she said.
According to estimates by the Justice Ministry, municipalities have issued registration cards to roughly 20,000 illegal foreign residents in Japan, and the problem has been blamed on the government's lack of authority to check registration data.
Tomoko Ishii of Amnesty International said that the new bills would exacerbate the situation for refugees entering Japan, who are generally not eligible for social insurance and many other benefits. "In the past, municipalities offered services to those refugees they thought were in dire need of help," Ishii said, warning that if the government took over such matters, refugees will receive no such support.
Takao Yamada, an official of the city of Kawasaki who used to handle alien registrations, expressed disappointment that the new bills offer no improvement on the current system.
"Nothing will change," he said, reflecting on his past efforts to provide adequate support to foreign residents in Kawasaki. "Why is it only the foreigners that need to deal with this system?" he asked.
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