Japan’s ‘nuclear’ 1950s fishermen need human rights recognised, not just cash, say justice campaigners
- A crowdfunding project has been set up to pay legal, medical costs for men exposed to radiation in Pacific during US tests decades ago
- Organisers also want their lawyers to further investigate ‘cover ups’ by US and Japan amid ‘human rights violations’ by both
A support group for Japanese fishermen exposed to radiation from US nuclear tests in the Pacific Ocean in the decades immediately after World War II has had to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to cover growing legal costs.
Organisers of the campaign also hope it will raise awareness in Japan of the difficulties thousands of men have faced after they were exposed to radiation while at sea due to tests carried out between the mid-1940s and 1958 and help them pay for the medical care that some now need.
Many of their colleagues have died of illnesses like cancer that their families blame on their exposure.
Hundreds were previously denied compensation from the Japanese government in earlier court cases.
Keisuke Okamura, the deputy director of the Grass Roots House peace museum and head of the crowdfunding effort, insists that the campaign goes far beyond simply raising funds for the men’s legal representatives.
