比基尼氫彈試驗：民間團體為漁民船員當訴訟原告，要求國家賠償

A few weeks ago the Mainichi News on-line reported the following:

ビキニ水爆実験:元漁船員原告で国賠訴訟へ　市民団体方針

毎日新聞　2015年02月07日　20時54分

　１９５４年に米国が太平洋ビキニ環礁で実施した水爆実験で、元漁船員らの被ばく状況を調査している市民団体「太平洋核被災支援センター」（高知県宿毛市）は７日、被ばく線量が高かったとみられる元漁船員を原告として国家賠償訴訟を目指す方針を決めた。

　この日、高知市内であった会合で確認した。昨年９月、厚生労働省が開示した第五福竜丸以外の漁船員の被ばく線量調査結果を受け「当時から被ばくが明らかだったのに追跡調査をせず、元漁船員らの健康悪化を放置した」などとして国の責任を追及する。厚生労働省と水産庁が被告となる見通し。

　この問題を巡っては５５年に米国が日本に２００万ドル（当時で約７億２０００万円）の「見舞金」を支払って政治決着したが、元漁船員らに十分な補償はされていない。山下正寿事務局長は「国の責任を明らかにして、個人の救済につなげたい」としている。【最上和喜】

(試譯文)

  About former fish boat crews who were victims of the US hydrogen bomb experiment conducted in Pacific Ocean Bikini Atoll in 1954, on the 7^th (February) a citizen group, the "Pacific Ocean nuclear disaster support center" (Sukumo city, Kochi) which investigated the exposure situation of former fish boat crews, decided to act as the plaintiff for fishermen and aimed at law suit directing at government liabilities.

   On that day, this decision was confirmed at the meeting in Kochi city. It looked for the responsibility of the country etc. because in September last year the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, while having noted the survey results on radiation exposure on fish boat crews other then those from the Daigo Fukuryu Maru, "failed to do follow-up investigation and ignored the health deterioration of former fish boat crews although radiation exposure was obvious since those days". The prospect was that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare together with the Fisheries Agency would become the defendants.

   Concerning this problem, the US had paid 2 million dollars (about 720 million yen at that time) to Japan in 1955 as an "Ex gratia payment" to settle it politically, but sufficient compensation to former fish boat crews had not been made. Yamashita Shoju the secretary-general supposed that "a national responsibility is obvious, and would like to link it to the relief of individual".

It is an interesting legal case; I look forward to knowing a court decision.